Changes
by GoofyGal2008
Summary: Brennan is pregnant, but will she have to go through it all alone? Who is the father, and why is she hiding her condition from everyone? Not your typical Bones pregnancy story!
1. Failure to Disconnect

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, as evidenced by my itty-bitty apartment and empty ramen containers. I really am a struggling artist cliché, aren't I?

**A/N:** This is my first fan fic. I hope I'm doing this right! Please let me know what you think, I've been working on this for a while and am really hoping you will love how the story develops as much as I've been loving it! Any and all critiques are welcome – please be honest! As far as the timeline goes, I'm putting this at some point after the end of season two, but before the start of season three. I'm trying really hard to not go too far OOC, so please let me know if you think I've gone too far at any point!

* * *

Temperance Brennan grimaced as the technician placed the cold gel on her bare, ever more protruding stomach.

"Here we go!" Martha, the always bubbly technician, smiled eagerly at her. She slowly began rolling the wand over Brennan's belly. _I don't need to look_, was the refrain she repeated over and over in her head. She knew exactly what was going on inside. 18 weeks. The baby was probably about 8 inches. 7 ounces or so. Fingerprints were forming. Most of the internal organs were now developing. The bones are beginning to ossify. _Oh god, the bones_, she thought. _My baby's bones are forming._ As the blurry black and white images began appearing on the screen, Temperance Brennan closed her eyes tight and turned away, not wanting the technician to see the tears welling up in her eyes, as she lay there wishing she were anywhere but here.

Martha was not used to women like Temperance Brennan. Usually, the women she dealt with were overjoyed to see the early pictures of their baby. Usually they were asking a million questions, laughing and crying and smiling the whole time. That was why she loved her job – everyone was always happy around her. Except, of course, for Temperance Brennan. She felt so sorry for the woman. Sure, she'd seen single mothers before, more and more of them every year. Yet she'd never seen someone who seemed so utterly and completely alone. _Maybe a baby will be good for her, _she thought. _Someone to keep her from being so lonely._ She reached out with her spare hand and placed it on Dr. Brennan's hand.

"Dr. Brennan, are you alright?"

Her movement startled Brennan back out of her zoned-out state. She instinctively stiffened and pulled her hand back.

"Yes, thank you. How does the fetus appear?"

"Oh, everything looks wonderful, Dr. Brennan. Would you like to know the sex?"

Without thinking, Temperance abandoned her plans of detachment and in a moment of weakness blurted out her answer: "Yes."


	2. Mama's Little Girl

**A/N:** You guys rock! Reviews and alerts make me very happy, so thank you all! Not all my updates will be this quick, but chapter 2 was nearly finished when I posted chapter 1, so all I had to do was a little polishing, and here it is! This one's a little longer, so I hope you enjoy it! If you read carefully, there are hints about the father in this chapter.

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!

* * *

_What the hell did I just say?_ Brennan thought quickly about changing her mind.

_Better tell her fast, _Martha thought to herself, _before she changes her mind._

"It looks like she's a girl," Martha smiled at Dr. Brennan as she told her the news.

_A girl. I'm having a girl._ Brennan wasn't really sure what she had been expecting, but somehow the news caught her completely off guard.

"A girl," she gasped.

"Is that alright? Did your husband want a boy? You know, men always say they want a little boy, but trust me, when he holds her in his arms, he'll be wrapped around her little finger in no time, don't you worry about that, Dr. Brennan." Martha knew perfectly well that Temperance Brennan was not married. She'd seen it in her file. Nevertheless, that wasn't going to stop Martha from trying to get _some_ sort of acknowledgement out of her that there at least was a father in the picture somewhere.

A sharp glare from Dr. Brennan put a quick end any questions she might have wanted to ask, though.

"Well, I think I've seen everything the doctor will need," Martha told Brennan. "Would you like me to print out some ultrasound pictures for you to take home?"

"No!" Brennan shouted much too quickly, clearly frightening the poor technician. Slowly, more calmly, she said, "No, thank you Martha, that won't be necessary." She threw in smile just to reassure the poor woman.

"Alright then, well, we keep them on file if you ever want a copy. In the meantime, you can go ahead and get cleaned up and I'll send Dr. Bryant in to talk to you in just a few minutes."

Temperance spent most of the rest of her visit in a daze, catching only a few words of what the doctor actually had to say. Martha's words kept replaying in her head, _It looks like she's a girl._ Over and over, she heard the words. _She._ _Girl._ Why the hell did she care so much? She wasn't supposed to care.

"…and we'll see you again in two weeks, just to check that things are still going smoothly. Temperance? Temperance, did you hear me?"

"What? Oh, yes, yes, Dr. Bryant. Two weeks. I'll see you then."

"Alright. Try to get some more sleep, Temperance, I think you need it." And with that he walked out the door, shaking his head at his patient.

_It looks like she's a girl._

* * *

"Hiya Bones! We got a case here, right up your alley. Call me, okay? Okay, see you soon."

"Bones, why isn't your cell phone on? That's why you have it, you know, so I can talk to you when you don't answer at home! Call me. Please?"

"Me again. Turn the phone on, Bones. I need you on a case. Call me!"

"Hey Bones? You there? Pick up, Bones! Please? Fine, but we've got a case. Skeleton-y bones galore, just like you like 'em! Call me when you get this, I'll pick you up at your office. Don't even think about pawning this one off on Zack again, either, Bones, you know I almost had to shoot the kid last week! Okay? Call me, Bones. And turn your damn cell phone back on, would ya?"

Temperance sighed as she hit the delete button on her answering machine one last time. She just couldn't go out in the field. Too much time with Booth and he'd figure it out for sure. He already knew something was off with her. Fortunately, he just thought she was still mad at him for kissing her after Angela's non-wedding three months ago. _If only he knew the truth_, she thought sadly.

She couldn't hide it much longer, she knew that. She couldn't believe she'd been able to go this long without anyone noticing - she was nearly five months along, after all. She figured two, maybe three more weeks and she'd have to either tell everyone or find a way to disappear for the next four months.

It wasn't supposed to get this far. Three and a half months ago, she'd sat outside that clinic for almost four hours, trying to get up the nerve to walk through the door. If she had just done that, nothing would have had to change. _Walking through that door would have been the rational behavior in this situation_, she told herself. _So why did I drive away?_

As she bent over to grab her bag, she felt a hard, sharp kick land just below her ribcage.

_That's why, _she thought. _My little girl. And she already knows karate._

Brennan laughed at the thought. _I know that can't be genetic, but still…she's definitely my little girl._ It had been a week since her last ultrasound, and she still found herself with an inexplicable little smile on her lips every time she thought about Martha's words: _It looks like she's a girl._

She sighed as she jerked her thoughts back to reality, grabbed her bag and headed out to her car. She'd call Booth on the way to the lab – hopefully she'd come up with some excuse that wouldn't set off too many alarm bells this time.

_The flu?_ Nah, she'd used that one four or five times in the last month. One more time, and he was going to start thinking she was dying.

_Her book?_ No again. He knew she'd just sent the last chapter off to the publisher over the weekend.

_C'mon, Temperance, there's got to be something!_ She banged her steering wheel in frustration.

Thirty minutes later, she still had nothing as she pulled into the parking structure at the Jeffersonian. She groaned as she saw him standing there, arms folded across his chest, right in the middle of her parking space. It was almost as if he were daring her to run him down.

_He looks pissed_, she thought with dread. _No wonder, since you've been pushing him away for months_.

There'd be no escaping him now, though.


	3. Meltdown

**A/N:** Hmm…these chapters seem to be coming to me much faster than I had intended. I probably should stockpile them, since I know I won't have much time for writing this weekend, but writing this story is just so therapeutic for me right now and I want to share it with you all. So enjoy, and keep the reviews coming! I'm trying to respond to everyone personally when I get time – right now I am just so wrapped up in getting all these story ideas down in black and white!

So, without further delay, enjoy chapter 3!

* * *

Seeley Booth was certain he knew exactly why she was avoiding him, exactly why she wouldn't take his calls or go out into the field with him. He'd pushed it too far, and she'd let him know every day since then with her silence.

After they finally recovered from the awkwardness that arose after Bones refused to sail off with Sully, they had, for the most part, settled back into their comfortable routine. Booth, though, couldn't help looking at her a little bit differently, having come so close to losing her to his friend. He noticed things he hadn't before – the way the light played on her hair as she bent over a body, for example, or the way her eyes sparkled when she had a big lead to share with him.

Then came Angela's wedding…or non-wedding, as it turned out. After several hours of dancing, he and Bones had taken glasses of champagne and gone outside to get some air. They eventually found a bench on the edge of the parking lot, a surprising perfect spot for stargazing. He'd known Bones knew her constellations, but it was still amazing to sit there and hear her rattle them off for him. For a while, he just sat there, staring at her, admiring her beauty in the soft moonlight. What he did and said next was something he'd replayed in his mind over and over since that night…

_Before he could stop himself, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. He had expected her to pull away, but instead he felt her body melt into his, as she wrapped her arms up around his neck and pulled him deeper into the kiss. He felt his whole body heat up, electricity coursing through his veins as his arms wrapped around her waist and her tongue found its way into his mouth._

_After what seemed like hours, she had pulled away from him, but not before he noticed the slightest smile playing at her lips as she turned her attention back to the constellations. He knew it was now or never._

"_Bones?"_

"_Yes, Booth?"_

"_I want more."_

"_More champagne? You can have my glass if you'd like, I'm not really that thirsty after all," she replied, offering him her untouched champagne flute._

"_No Bones, I want more of us. I want us to be more than just partners. I know I said there was a line there, but I think it's worth the risk, for us to take a shot at love and cross that line."_

_There…he'd said it. He waited for a response, but none came. She had turned her head away, and he couldn't read anything in her body language._

"_Temperance?"_

_When she finally turned back to him, she looked…what was that look? It wasn't really sadness, more like disappointment or even resignation. He knew then he wasn't going to like what she said next._

"_Booth, you know we can't do that. It would just be too dangerous for us."_

"_Bones, we could handle it."_

"_It isn't only that, Booth. It just wouldn't work. I'm just getting over my relationship with Sully, but, even if I wasn't, I would have to say no, because I don't feel that way about you. I'm sorry, Seeley, I don't want to hurt you, but I just can't take our relationship any further."_

_With that, she stood up, kissed him softly on the cheek and walked away, leaving him confused and heartbroken._

Ever since that day, she'd just gotten more and more distant. At this point, Booth would have given anything to go back in time and take back what he'd said. Yes, he still wanted more…but at this point, he missed her so much, he'd settle for half of what they'd had before he'd gone and opened his big mouth.

* * *

The sound of the approaching car jolted Booth back to the present. He glanced at his watch, realizing that he had been standing in her parking space for nearly an hour. She was late again. The Temperance Brennan he knew never used to be late for anything, but especially work. In fact, she used to be there so early that sometimes he'd swear she'd stayed the whole night in the lab. Then again, she used to beg to go out in the field with him, too. Now he couldn't get her to leave the lab at all. A lot of things about his partner had changed in the last few months.

She drove straight at him, daring him to stand there and let her run him down. Instead, he stepped to the side just before she pulled in. He knew if he got to her before she got out of the car, she couldn't run away this time. He'd get his explanation. One way or another, he was determined to make her talk to him, so that they could work things out and move on.

As she opened the door, he quickly maneuvered himself so that his body blocked her exit.

"Booth, get out of my way. I'm late for work."

"Nope, no can do Bones. Not until we talk."

"Talk about what, Booth?"

"Talk about what?! Come on, Bones, our kiss…me asking for more…you saying no! I know that's why you're avoiding me. You're pushing me away. I just want us to be okay again."

"Booth, I've told you already, I've already forgotten that night. You'd been drinking, you weren't thinking properly. You said some things you regret."

_But I don't! I don't regret it!_ He wanted to scream it at her, but he held it back.

"Really, Booth, there's nothing to talk about. I'm fine, you're fine, we're fine."

"Bones! We are not fine! Why are you avoiding me? Did I do something else wrong?"

"Booth, do you remember doing something wrong?"

"No, no I don't. But I…"

"Then it is completed irrational for you to think that you did when there is no evidence to support your conclusion."

"You and your damn logic, Bones!" His hand smacked the roof of her car so hard the whole vehicle shook. "If I didn't do anything wrong, why won't you take my calls? Why is Zack going into the field with me? Why are you shutting me out?"

As angry as he was at her, Brennan couldn't help but notice that little vein on his neck, the one that throbbed when he was really agitated. She couldn't stop herself from thinking, _God, he's sexy when gets angry_. It broke her heart to have to lie to him, but in her head she knew that keeping her secret from him was the only thing she could do. _It would hurt him more to know the truth_, she thought.

"…and then you won't even look at me in the lab! Bones, are you even listening to me?"

He hated yelling at her, but he needed to know why she was pulling away. _She looks so tired,_ he thought to himself. _Like the world is on her shoulders. Why?_

"C'mon Bones, just let me in." His voice was softer tone, his angry tone brought down to a heartfelt plea.

Brennan sighed audibly. "Booth, I've told you, there's nothing going on. I've simply been busy. Look, I have a lot of work in the lab today. If you don't mind getting out of my way, I'd really like to get to it so I don't have to stay all night."

"Actually Temperance, I do mind!" His hand came down hard on the roof again, and once again, he was yelling at her. "I mind a lot! I am not moving until you tell me what is going on!"

She felt it coming the moment his fist hit the roof. She tried to stop it. She bit her lower lip so hard she could taste the blood, but if there was one thing the last five months had taught her, it was that there was no stopping this. _Stupid, stupid, irrational hormones!_

She quickly buried her head in the steering wheel, mortified that Booth was going to see her like this. And the tears came fast and furious, the sobs loud and gut wrenching, exactly as she knew they would.


	4. Recognition

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for the reviews! You have no idea how much I love hearing that you guys are enjoying this story! Chapter 5 may take a tiny bit longer than these last four did, because it is less complete than the others were, and I have a "real" project due at work tomorrow. But I promise to get it up as soon as I can! Keep the reviews coming!

* * *

"Damnit, Seeley Booth, what the hell did you do to her?"

Angela hadn't known what to think when Booth rushed into the lab and told her that Brennan was having some sort of breakdown in the parking lot. Now that she was kneeling by Temperance's open door, trying to console her, she just couldn't fathom what could have put her normally cool and rational best friend over the edge like this.

"I swear, Angela, I didn't do anything. Maybe I yelled a bit, but not any more than usual! She just cracked!"

"Sweetie? Bren, sweetie, would you just look at me?"

Brennan mumbled something which no one could understand, but vigorously shook her no.

"What did you say sweetie? You've got to take your head out of that steering wheel, hon, I can't understand a word you're saying."

Slowly, Brennan raised her head up from the steering wheel, mascara dripping down her tear-stained cheeks.

"I…I said…I said…I'm…I'm fine." She fought hard to get the words out between bursts of uncontrollable sobbing.

Slowly, she brought her emotions back under control, sheepishly wiping the mascara and salty tears from her face. She turned her head to see the scene assembled before her:

Angela, kneeling at her side, rubbing her back, with a look of sadness and fear in her eyes.

Booth, looking guilty and confused, staring at the ground by Brennan's feet, afraid to even look directly at her.

Hodgins, standing in Booth's shadow, looking ready to punch his lights out at the first word from Angela.

Zack, standing next to Hodgins, had a look of bewilderment on his face, as he was clearly trying his best to rationalize the situation he was witnessing.

And then…_click-clack...click-clack…click-clack_…Cam marching over in her stilettos, arms folded across her chest, oblivious to the meltdown the rest of the team had just witnessed.

"Excuse me!" she bellowed. "It is 11 o'clock in the morning, and we have remains waiting to be processed, people! Someone had better have an extremely good explanation for why my entire forensics team is having a huddle in the parking garage instead of working!"

"Cam…" Angela said softly, looking up at her boss, unsure how to even begin to explain what was going on, when she herself was absolutely clueless.

Slowly, Camille Saroyan looked around, taking in the same scene Brennan had just surveyed. Her face registered a look of absolute shock and horror when her gaze finally settled on her forensic anthropologist, shaking in the front seat of her car, silent tears still streaming down her bright red cheeks.

"What the…" she began, but Cam couldn't even get the words out.

Hodgins jumped in, trying to clear the air. "Hey, Zack, Cam, let's head back to the lab. I'm sure Angela wants some time to talk to Dr. Brennan. And Booth, I think there are plenty of gorgeous little particulates from your case that I need to discuss with you." Hodgins tried not to sound as concerned as he was – he knew whatever was going on with Brennan, Angela could handle it better if everyone else were out of the way.

Although she hated being kept in the dark when it came to her team, Cam reluctantly agreed, and Zack followed them back up to the lab. Booth dragged his feet, but eventually the death glares Hodgins was shooting at him made him head off.

As soon as they were gone, Angela turned her attention back to Brennan. She pursed her lips, put her hands on her hips and gave her the sternest concerned-friend look she could muster.

"Okay, you. Spill. What is going on with you?"

"Really, Ange, I'm fine. I'm just really tired – I'm not sleeping well, and I think I'm not reacting well to these sleeping pills the doctor gave me. But really, there's no big secret here."

Brennan closed her eyes and hoped against hope that her best friend couldn't tell she was lying through her teeth.

_They may think I'm crazy, _she thought, _but at least I won't have to come up with another excuse for Booth today._

"Look, Ange, I think I should just go home and try to get some sleep. Really, I'm sure my body is just a little off from the lack of sleep."

"Okay sweetie, if you say so." Angela was incredibly reluctant to let her go, since she didn't believe for one second that lack of sleep had anything to do with Brennan's parking lot meltdown. "But you are not driving yourself home. Give me your keys, I'll drive you and stay with you until Hodgins can pick me up tonight."

"No, Ange, I just need to sleep and be alone for a while. I am perfectly capable of driving myself home. Would you please just tell Cam that I won't be working today. And tell Booth I'm sorry, but he'll have to take Zack out in the field again today. Please, Ange?"

Every instinct in her told Angela no, but something in her friend's voice sounded so…well, so defeated…that she just couldn't say no to her.

"Okay, sweetie." Angela hugged her tight, whispering, "You know you can tell me anything, right sweetie? Anything, anytime?"

"I know, Ange. I just need some space right now."

"Just promise me you'll call me as soon as you get to your place, okay?"

"I promise, Ange."

* * *

Martha was just getting ready to head out for an early lunch when she noticed her. _That's odd_, she thought. _I could have sworn Dr. Brennan didn't have an appointment until next week_. Nevertheless, there was no doubt that the woman sitting in her car outside the office was Temperance Brennan.

Martha leaned over and tapped gently on the driver's side window.

"Honey, you okay in there?"

Temperance rolled down the window, smiling meakly at Martha. She was relieved that it was Martha, and not Dr. Bryant or one of the nurses, who had seen her sitting there.

"I'm fine, Martha, I'm fine. I…um…well, I was just…"

"It's alright, Temperance. Whatever you need, I'm here to help."

"I was just wondering…Martha, can I get one of those pictures from the ultrasound?"

A big smile broke out across Martha's face. _Finally, _she sighed to herself, _finally she's starting to accept that little girl._


	5. Holding On

**A/N: **So this chapter is a bit short, but I needed it as a transition from one place to the next. In the next few chapters, we'll be getting more into what's going on in Brennan's head, who the father is – and yes, she will finally tell someone about the baby!

* * *

Booth slumped down into the couch in her office and put his head in his hands. It wasn't as though he'd never seen her cry before – although she would hate to admit it, he had seen it at least half a dozen times. But there had been something different about today.

Today, he wasn't holding her, comforting her, making her tears stop. Today, he was the reason for the tears. This was his fault, and he just couldn't get his head around it. Had he really been so wrong? Had he really broken her? And more importantly…could he fix her again?

When she had finally lifted her head off of the steering wheel, she'd had pain and fear written all over her face. The sight of it had thrown him for such a loop that couldn't even bring himself to look at her again. Had he done that? Was she afraid of him?

He sat there, lost in his thoughts, until Angela pulled him back to reality.

"You! Booth, you have some major explaining to do!" Angela exclaimed as she marched into Brennan's office, shaking her finger at Booth.

"Angela!" Booth shot up when she walked into the room. "Is Bones alright? Where is she?"

"She's gone home for the day. She already called to say she made it back to her place safely. She says she's fine. But Booth….I think we both know that she isn't fine."

She stared hard at him, and he just nodded.

"And I think you know why that is. Or at least a lot more about it than anyone else here. Am I right?"

He nodded again.

"Good. Now that we've established that you know what happened, why don't you tell me?"

Booth sighed, recognizing that there was no way he was making it out of the lab until Angela got the answers she was looking for. He sat down, and motioned for her to do the same.

"I screwed up, Angela. Big time."

"That much I got, Agent Genius. What I don't have is details."

* * *

"Wow," was all she could manage to get out. For the second time in less than an hour, Angela Montenegro, the woman who usually had something to say about every little thing, found herself utterly speechless.

Under normal circumstances, she would have squealed for joy at the thought that Booth had finally told Brennan how he felt. Clearly, though, this was not the happily-ever-after scenario she'd pictured for her friends.

_But why would she reject him?_ Angela just couldn't understand that. She knew Brennan had feelings for Booth. Was she running again? Pushing him away out of fear? And none of this explained what the heck Brennan was doing sobbing in the parking garage. Something was not right, and Angela was determined to get to the bottom of things before Temperance permanently destroyed the best relationship she'd ever had.

* * *

"Capital Area Adoption, this is Debbie, how may I help you?" chirped the receptionist over the phone.

"Yes, hi, I have an appointment next week to meet with an adoption counselor. I need to cancel."

"Alright, can I get your name? And when you would like to reschedule for?"

"Temperance Brennan. And I won't be rescheduling. I've…well, I've decided to keep the baby. Thank you."

Temperance she hung up the phone quickly, before she could give herself a chance to change her mind again.

She sat at her kitchen table, running her fingers over the grainy ultrasound image. Her fingers lingered over the little girl's hands, and she knew that there was no way she could ever let go.


	6. One Of Those Secrets

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who has left a review – you guys are fantastic! Thank you so much for sticking with this story. I know some of you are frustrated that she hasn't told anyone yet. It will happen soon, but try to remember that Brennan has been alone most of her adult life, and does not like to let people in. She does things her way, and she's got a lot to process right now. Just be patient, it won't be long now!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Angela cancelled her dinner plans with Hodgins, left the lab early and headed straight to Brennan's apartment. As she walked up to the door, she couldn't help but feel strange being there. She rarely went to Brennan's apartment. Most of their heart-to-hearts occurred while pouring over remains or examining scenarios in the Angelator. When they went out, they left from the Jeffersonian. So it felt more than a little odd as she pressed the doorbell and waited for an answer.

Temperance had been sitting at her table, running her fingers over the numbers on the telephone, trying to find enough courage to call him. She knew she had to. Now that she was going to keep the baby, he had to know. She wasn't going to force anything on him, but it wouldn't be fair to him – or to the baby – to not at least give him the option of being involved.

Just as she was about to dial the last number, the doorbell rang. Deciding to let the phone call wait until later, she hung up the receiver and quickly slipped the ultrasound picture inside a drawer.

Angela rang the bell a second time, growing more concerned with the time it was taking Brennan to answer. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally heard a rather annoyed voice call out, "I'm coming".

Finally, the door swung open and Angela carefully took in the sight of her best friend standing there.

She looks like she's been crying again, she found herself thinking. But at least she looks a bit more rested than this morning.

"Hi Ange," Temperance said, momentarily wondering why Angela was on her doorstep instead of Booth, who was usually the one who showed up at her apartment when she needed a friend, before she remembered the way she had snapped right in front of him earlier that day.

"Hey sweetie," Angela said, drawing Brennan into a tight hug. "How are you? Feeling any better?"

"Thanks Ange. I feel fine. A little embarrassed about this morning, though, to be honest."

Angela walked into the apartment and immediately flopped down on the couch. As she looked around, she couldn't help but smile at how impressively clean Brennan kept everything, even when she was so clearly distressed.

"Well, I think that was kind of awkward for all of us, sweetie. Everyone is really concerned about you, you know. What is going on?"

"I thought I told you…" Temperance began, but was quickly interrupted.

"The sleeping pill thing? You didn't really think I'd leave it at that, now did you? I know you too well, Bren, I know when you're hiding something from me."

She waited for Temperance to respond, but she just sat there, staring at her hands.

"Look, Temperance, I talked to Booth. He told me all about what happened after my wedding."

Aha, there it is, thought Angela, as she noted the surprise and sadness in Brennan's eyes. She reached out and grabbed Brennan's hands, looking straight into her eyes.

"What's going on, sweetie? I thought we talked about this after Sully left – you are going to miss out on so much if you give in to your fear and run every time someone starts to get close. I know you have feelings for Booth; anyone with half a brain can see that. So what happened?"

Temperance sighed as she shook her head, closing her eyes and recalling the night she had spent the last three months trying without success to forget.

_She still wasn't quite sure how it had happened. One minute she was pointing out the unique features of the Orion constellation and the next minute Booth was kissing her. Her first instinct was to push him away, but instead she shocked even herself by pulling him closer to her._

_She'd never felt anything like the current that shot through her when his lips first met hers. When she'd finally pulled away, everything had felt so right…until Booth started talking about wanting more._

_Almost immediately, her thoughts flashed to earlier that evening, when she'd been curled up over the toilet, the result of being eight weeks pregnant. Pregnant with another man's baby. Who starts a relationship in that condition? It would not be rational to expect him to accept it, and she didn't think she was strong enough to handle hearing him reject her._

_So she did the only thing she knew how to do. She rejected him first. She came off as cruel, she knew that. But better to be a little cruel now than to let something happen and then have to break his heart a few weeks down the road when he found out about the baby._

_Every part of her was screaming to tell him yes, but she somehow still managed to get through what she had to say without breaking down. When she was finished, the look of devastation on his face almost made her take it all back right there, but instead she turned and hurried away from him._

_He thought she didn't care. He didn't see the tears falling as she walked across the dark parking lot to her car. He didn't see her pull off the road just half a mile away, unable to see straight through her sobbing. He didn't hear her crying herself to sleep that night, mourning the relationship she knew she had probably just killed._

_As much as she kept telling herself it was just a surge of dopamine and norepinephrin, as much as she needed now more than ever to believe that was true, she knew it was more than that. She knew that he had been right when he had told her there were some things that just can't be measured in the lab, and love was definitely one of those things._

"Ange, you don't understand. I wanted to, I just couldn't. I wasn't afraid, I just can't…" Temperance paused as she fought back the tears she could feel coming.

"Oh sweetie, why? Is there something else going on? Something you aren't you telling me?" Angela just couldn't understand why Temperance would run if she actually wanted a relationship with Booth.

Temperance nodded silently, still fighting off the tears.

"Well, what it is it? You know I'm here for you, whatever it is. All you have to do is tell me what's going on."

"I…well, I…Angela, you have to understand, I do want to tell you. I wasn't going to – I didn't want tell anyone. But I'm ready now. I just…well, you see, there's someone else I have to tell first. But then, I promise that I will tell you."

Angela knew she had pushed as far as she could for that night. Any further, and Brennan might retreat all together.

"Okay, I'll wait. But sweetie, you know Booth can't wait around forever for you to be ready to tell him."

Temperance sighed again. Angela just didn't get it.

"Ange, it isn't one of those secrets."

"One of which secrets?"

"The ones where once you tell people, they go away. This isn't one of those. Even after I tell you, it isn't going away, and it isn't going to make a relationship with Booth any less impossible."

Angela wasn't quite so sure, but decided for Brennan's sake, she would drop it, at least until she found out what exactly this secret was.

"Look, Bren, I'm not going to pretend to understand why you wouldn't give Booth a chance. Clearly, there are things I don't know and you aren't going to tell me tonight. Why don't we just put this conversation on hold until you can tell me everything?"

"That would be great, Ange. I appreciate it," Temperance said, as she finally felt the urge to cry subsiding.

"Well, I'd better run. Hodgins is still expecting me for a late dinner. Unless you need me to stay, of course, I can always cancel. He'll understand."

"No, Ange, don't do that. I'll be just fine. I've got a phone call I've got to make anyway."

Angela stood up and gave her friend a quick hug.

"See you tomorrow, right?"

"Okay. Thanks, Angela."

"Bye sweetie. Call if you need me."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Temperance sat at her table once again, phone in one hand, ultrasound in the other.

_It's now or never_, she thought, as she slowly dialed his number.

_Breathe, Temperance, breathe. _One ring. Two rings.

_Maybe he isn't there_. Three rings. Four rings.

_Should I tell him over voicemail?_ Five rings.

_Did he change…_"Hello?"

_Oh, crap, he answered. What do I say?_ "Hello?"

_C'mon, Temperance, open mouth, say words._ "Hello? Is anyone there?"

_He's going to hang up – just say hello._

"Hi…um…it's Temperance. We…we need to talk."


	7. We Need To Talk

**A/N:** Well, the time has finally come to reveal the father! Some of you have already guessed, I'm sure. Please don't hate me for not making it Booth's – it really is necessary for the story, and I also felt like I wanted to do something a little different than what typically happens in a pregnancy story. Don't bail on the story now – there are still plenty of turns to come!

As always, feel free to rant and/or rave as you see fit in the reviews section!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Temperance? What's going on? Are you alright?"

"Where are you? We need to talk as soon as possible."

"Um, Temperance, have you forgotten? I'm in the Bahamas. Whatever it is, can't we just talk now, over the phone?"

"No, it has to be in person. Can you be in Miami tomorrow?"

She wasn't sure why, but Temperance knew that this was something that needed to be said face to face. She might not be as good at reading body language as Booth was, but she needed to see his reaction.

"Tomorrow? Yeah, I think I could do that. Are you sure you're alright? This seems pretty spontaneous…which, no offense, is definitely not something you usually do well."

"I know. Actually, though, I've been thinking about this for quite some time. And I really need to talk to you, and in person. I can get a flight tomorrow morning that will put me in Miami by early afternoon. How soon can you be there?"

"I suppose if I hurry, I can be back in Miami by tomorrow afternoon. Why don't I make you dinner?"

"That would work. Call my cell when you get into Miami; that way, you can tell me where exactly you are, and when I should come over. My number hasn't changed."

"Alright. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then. Good night, Temperance."

"Good night, Sully."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One more call. It was just now 5 o'clock, and Temperance desperately hoped she hadn't missed her – she certainly didn't want to have to call her at home.

"Dr. Saroyan."

"Cam, it's Dr. Brennan. I'm so glad I caught you before you left for the night."

"Dr. Brennan, how are you feeling? Angela told me you were feeling ill this morning."

Cam tried not to let on how concerned she was about what she had witnessed in the parking garage that morning – she knew Brennan had probably heard it all, and then some, from Angela and Booth by this point.

"I'm feeling much better, thank you. Although, I was hoping I could get the rest of the week off. I have something I really need to take care of."

"I don't know, Dr. Brennan, we received a new case from the FBI this morning, and we still have the authentication of the bones sent from that dig in southern Arizona which need your immediate attention. Zack can't handle all of that on his own, so I'm not sure we can spare you these next few days."

"Cam, I really need to do this. I understand that there is a lot of work to be done, and I'll work overtime to make up for it when I return. I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't absolutely essential that I do this immediately. Please, Cam."

"And may I ask just what it is that is so urgent that it cannot wait until this weekend?"

"That's sort of a personal matter. Look, think of it as making up for all those sick days I didn't take when I had the flu a few months ago."

Cam had to admit that Dr. Brennan had a point. Even when she had been running to the bathroom every 20 minutes, she hadn't asked for a single sick day. She sighed, knowing that this was a losing argument for her.

"Dr. Brennan, am I correct when I assume that regardless of whether I approve your absence, you will not be at work for the rest of week?"

Temperance had to laugh a little at this statement. _Cam knows me better than I thought_, she decided.

"Yes, that's correct."

"Alright, then. I expect to see you in the lab first thing Monday morning. Will that be a problem?"

"No, not at all. Everything should be taken care of by Monday."

"Very well. See you on Monday."

"See you then. And Cam…thank you."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Temperance woke up even earlier than usual. She packed a small suitcase with a few essentials for the trip: toothbrush, hairbrush, two changes of clothes, prenatal vitamins. She certainly didn't intend to stay longer than necessary. On her way out the door, she grabbed the ultrasound picture, placing it carefully in her bag. She had a feeling she might need it later that day.

By the time her plane landed in Miami at one o'clock, her stomach was in knots and she was beginning to doubt the entire trip.

_Why did I have to do this in person?_ She knew it would have been easier to do this over the phone, when she could have just hung up the phone if she didn't like his reaction.

But she was already here, and there was no turning back now.


	8. A Personal Matter

**A/N: **I can't believe I'm on chapter 8 already! So now that you know who the father is, I thought it was time to check back in with the rest of the crew at the Jeffersonian to see how they were handling things, especially Angela and Booth. As always, reviews are very much appreciated! You guys are great!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seemed everyone arrived at the Jeffersonian earlier than usual that morning, each with a different excuse.

Zack claimed he was eager to get to work examining the remains he had just finished cleaning the previous evening, as well as reconstructing the victim's skull so that Angela could begin facial reconstruction.

Angela feigned interest in continuing progress on a Jane Doe from limbo while she waited for Zack to finish the tissue markers on the latest FBI skull.

Hodgins professed an interest in further analyzing a unique combination of particulates pulled from the victim's jacket pocket.

Booth claimed he was there to keep the squints on task and get updates on their progress, even though he knew that his presence often did nothing but distract and annoy them.

In reality, none of them were really concentrating on their work, as evidenced by the constant glances they all stole at the front entrance. They were all waiting for Dr. Brennan to walk through the door.

When the door finally opened, they were all disappointed to see Dr. Saroyan walking in, her cell phone pressed to her ear, looking very stressed as she tried to calm the angry archaeologist on the other end of the line.

"Yes, Dr. Hoffman, I understand that this dig is highly important to your university…

…Yes, I am aware that Dr. Brennan told you she would have the authentication completed by Friday…

…Dr. Hoffman, I'm sorry, we are an active forensics lab and are involved in a number of pressing cases for the federal government. Things come up, and you were aware of this fact when you selected the Jeffersonian to conduct this authentication…

…Yes, Dr. Hoffman, I am well aware of the constraints of your publishing deadlines. Look, I'm sorry, but there is really nothing I can do right now. You can make arrangements to send the skeleton to another lab, which would take weeks and certainly cause you to miss your deadline, or you can simply be patient and wait until Dr. Brennan is able to give it her full attention next week."

And with that, Cam hung up quickly, before the man could dump more of his frustrations on her shoulders.

Turning to the assembled team, she tried to steer things back toward the case at hand.

"Zack, how are you progressing with the remains from our latest case?"

"Fine, Dr. Saroyan, I've just finished my initial exam and have placed all the tissue markers Angela should need to complete her reconstruction. I did also locate some unusual pitting on the left femur. I have several theories as to how this could have occurred, but I would like to get Dr. Brennan to take a look before I make any determinations."

"Sorry, Zack-a-roni, you're going to have to fly solo on this one. Dr. Brennan is taking a little personal time. She'll be back on Monday, and I'm pretty sure the FBI would like your results sooner than that."

"What do you mean, personal time? Where the hell is she?" Angela cried out, clearly shocked.

"I'm afraid I don't know. She called me yesterday evening and asked for the time off. Given how busy we are this week, I was reluctant to give it to her, but she was insistent. Said something about having a personal matter she needed to take care of immediately."

Cam was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone.

"Excuse me. If you need any help, Zack, I'll be in my office."

Angela turned to Booth.

"Did she tell you anything about this?"

"Me? No! I haven't spoken to her since yesterday in the garage."

Angela quickly grabbed Hodgins' keys out of his pocket.

"Hey!" he protested.

"I'm going to her place to talk to her. Something isn't right."

"I'm going with you," Booth announced. "And Angela? Give Hodgins back his keys. We're taking my car – no way am I getting back in that sissy toy he calls a car!"

Angela laughed at Hodgins' playful hurt expression as she kissed his cheek as she slipped the keys into his pocket, before turning and running off after Booth.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Bones! Bones, open up!" Booth was getting more and more worried as he banged on her door, still getting no response from within.

"Her car's gone." Angela reported as she returned from checking the lot.

"What? Where could she be? Are you sure she didn't say anything about leaving when you talked to her yesterday?"

"For the millionth time, Booth, yes I'm sure! All she said was that there was something she wanted to tell me, but that there was someone else she needed to tell first. Whatever it was, I assumed she was talking about you!"

"Well clearly you assumed wrong!" Booth yelled angrily.

"Watch it, buddy. That's the sort of yelling that got you into trouble yesterday. I might not cry, but I might just kick your ass. Calm down!"

Booth leaned against the wall, defeated.

"I'm sorry, Angela. I just don't know what to do anymore. I want to fix this; I want to make it better. I just want Bones and I to be us again."

Angela put her arms around his shoulders, trying to comfort him.

"I know, but sometimes you have to accept that Brennan is a complicated woman. You can't always fix her – especially if she doesn't want to be fixed."

Angela had a sudden idea as to what might make him feel a bit more useful.

"Hey, here's a thought. Why don't you flash that shiny badge and see if the neighbors know anything?"

"I don't know, Ange. Bones isn't terribly friendly with any of her neighbors."

"Well, sure, but every building has that one nosy neighbor who gets into everyone's business, right?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Booth had to admit, Angela sure knew her stuff. Less than an hour later, he'd found a charming old lady who had reported that Bones had left early that morning, telling her that she was going out of town for a few days.

"Well, at least we know she wasn't kidnapped," Angela remarked, clearly relieved.

Booth didn't say anything, just pulled out his cell phone and began making calls.

"Booth, what are you…?" She stopped as he waved a hand to silence her.

"Yes, this is Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI. I need to know if you have a Dr. Temperance Brennan booked on any flights today…Yes, I'll wait."

"Booth, this isn't a good idea! You could get in trouble for using your…"

"Not now, Angela!"

"Yes, I'm still here…She did? To where? Alright, thank you very much for your assistance."

"Well, what did he say?"

"Feel like taking a trip to Miami?" Booth asked Angela.

"Miami? What would she be doing in Miami?" Angela was clearly confused.

"I don't know, but I fully intend to find out," Booth said as he dialed another number on the phone.

"Yes, reservations? I need to get a flight from D.C. to Miami, today if at all possible…hey! Angela!"

Booth was interrupted by Angela grabbing the phone out of his hands and slamming it closed.

"Oh no you don't, Seeley Booth! Are you trying to save your relationship with her or destroy it? Because if you go to Miami, you might as well take her off speed dial now, because she'll never speak to you again."

"Angela, I have to figure out what's going on!"

"No, you most certainly do not! I don't know what's going on with Brennan, and yes, I'm confused and worried too. But you know her. If you push too hard, you will push her away forever, and even you won't be able to get her back. She's going through something, God only knows what that is right now, and when she's ready, she'll come to us. But not before, you know that."

"Angela, I…" Booth began, but again was not allowed to finish.

"No! Mark my words, Seeley Booth, if you go to Miami, your relationship with Temperance Brennan will be over, end of story."

Booth sighed, knowing she was right. They climbed back into his SUV and silently headed back to the Jeffersonian, although not until Angela had confiscated, in addition to his cell phone, every last one of his credit cards to keep him from changing his mind and going after her.


	9. A Little Freedom

**A/N: **Well, here it is – the long awaited meeting of Sully and Brennan, which will take up most of the next chapter as well, maybe even a bit of the chapter after that, depending on how things work out with the dialogue. If you can wait just a part of a chapter, though, I thought that before we get to that, it was about time for Brennan to have a little fun and do something to help her slowly start to embrace being pregnant. Let me know what you think!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Temperance Brennan was in a place she never imagined she'd be. She felt like a child lost in the wilderness, looking helplessly around the little boutique. Angela usually did most of her shopping for her. The fact that she tagged along was merely so she could try on the pieces Angela selected. In fact, Temperance wasn't sure she could even remember the last time she'd been shopping on her own. And even then, she was certain she hadn't been in a maternity store.

She'd stopped off at the store on her way from the airport to her hotel, figuring that since she was certainly not trying to hide her pregnancy from Sully, she might as well pick up an outfit that actually fit her rapidly changing body. This was going to be necessary soon anyway, since even her largest pants no longer buttoned without difficulty and she was practically spilling out of most of her shirts.

Now that she was actually standing in the store, though, she felt herself beginning to panic. She somehow had not anticipated the clothing being so, well, large. She was absolutely certain there was no way she would ever be that big, especially not at the rate she was going. Her doctor assured her that her small weight gain, although on the lower end of the acceptable range, was still perfectly normal, especially considering she herself was quite slim to begin with. Standing face to face with the clothing options, however, Temperance was beginning to doubt her doctor's assessment of how normal her weight really was.

"First time?" A young saleswoman had approached while Temperance had been lost in thought, and her question startled her.

"Hmm? Oh yes, definitely my first time."

"Well, congratulations. How far along are you?"

"Nearly 20 weeks."

"Let me guess – your pants are just starting to get tight around the waist, the shirts no longer fit over the new chest, but you still can't seem to get it to look like a pregnant belly instead of just a couple extra pounds?"

Temperance laughed and nodded. Was this woman a mind reader?

"Same thing happened my first time. Couldn't get anyone to believe I was so far along, either. Don't worry, you may never get as big as most women seem to, but it'll definitely start looking more like a pregnancy, especially once you hit the last trimester. Other pregnant women will probably curse you for it, but it is true that some women do gain less with their first babies. I only put on 15 pounds my whole pregnancy with the first…of course, I more than made up for it with my 40 pound second go around. I say stop while your ahead."

"Trust me, there won't be a second pregnancy. There wasn't supposed to be a first."

_Did I really just say that? This lady does not want to hear that_, Temperance thought. _I'll bet she's one of those women who feel attached to every pregnancy, theirs or otherwise_.

"Well, these things happen, even to the most careful among us. I wouldn't have a job if they didn't! Now, let's see what we can find that will help show off that little baby bump of yours, shall we?"

And with that, the saleswoman took Temperance by the arm, and began guiding her through the racks of clothing. Before she really knew what was happening, a quick trip to pick up one outfit had turned into a major shopping spree taking two hours and four shopping bags.

_Angela will kill me for not waiting and doing this with her_, Temperance thought as she left the store. _I suppose I could let her drag me through another afternoon like this in a month or two. After all, these clothes fit me now, but I certainly won't stay this size much longer._

Although she would never admit it to herself, a part of Temperance Brennan had, for the first time in her life, actually enjoyed going shopping.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A warm breeze was blowing as Temperance stepped out of her rental car at the marina. She paused for a moment, breathing in the sea air, wondering whether this would have felt like home by now had she gone with Sully when he'd asked her to.

She quickly adjusted the red empire waist top she had picked out for the evening. It seemed to fall in just the right places to actually show off her little belly. After ensuring that nothing was out of place, she slowly began walking down the pier to where she had seen Sully's boat docked.

"Temperance!"

Sully stood on the edge of the boat, wind blowing through his hair, a big smile on his face. Temperance couldn't help but laugh when she saw him, as she remembered the first time she'd seen him on that boat. He looked just the same now, only a bit more tan, and with tomato sauce on his chin instead of a grease stain.

He jumped down onto the pier, grabbed her hand and pulled her into a big hug.

"I missed you, Tempe."

"I missed you too, Sully."

They didn't say much else as they climbed down into the galley, where Sully had been putting the finishing touches on dinner. Each was quietly observing the other, trying to discern what their exact feelings were about this meeting.

_He looks happy_, she thought. _He seems to really be enjoying his freedom. Will he be angry when I ask him to give it all up? Am I even asking him to give it up?_

_Good heavens, she looks amazing_, Sully noted. _Something is different about her. She's put on a little weight, but it looks good on her. In that shirt, I'd almost think she was…but no, she couldn't be. Could she?_

They both stood their quietly for what seemed like hours, neither sure who should make the first move. It was Sully who finally broke their silence.

"It looks like it will be a beautiful evening. I thought we could eat up on the deck, if you don't mind the breeze."

"That sounds lovely. Can I help you carry anything up?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once they had everything set up on the deck, Sully uncorked a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass.

_He really didn't notice_, she thought. She took the glass and set it down next to her plate without taking a sip.

For a time, neither said anything. They sat in awkward silence, nibbling on their food and trying to watch each other without the other on seeing. This time, it was Temperance who finally broke the silence.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything pressing in the Bahamas. I really should have given you more notice, I know. I guess once I decided we needed to talk, I just felt like it needed to be done immediately."

Sully laughed, remembering how her brain worked.

"Well, you always did think things through in microseconds."

"Yes, I suppose I do. What I'm about to tell you, though, I want you to know it wasn't a microsecond decision. I've been thinking it through for months. In fact, I've hardly had time to think about anything else. Booth's been getting quite annoyed with how distracted I've been."

"Tempe, what's going on? Have you changed your mind about joining me here?"

Sully sounded so hopeful about the idea, but his comment startled her. She hadn't even considered that he would misinterpret what she was saying.

"Oh, Sully. No, no I haven't changed my mind. I do miss you, but I know that I made the right decision when I chose to stay. Dr. Wyatt claims I'm just not capable of living without specific purpose and direction at this point in my life, and I agree with him."

"Who the hell is Dr. Wyatt?"

"Booth's psychiatrist. As you know, I normally place little credence in psychology, but in this case…"

"Wait, why are you seeing Booth's psychiatrist?"

"Oh, I'm not. Booth just felt quite guilty after you left and I didn't go with you. He had this ridiculous idea that I stayed because of him, and it was beginning to adversely affect our professional relationship. So he dragged in his psychiatrist to analyze the relationship. He just sort of followed us around and then accurately articulated for Booth the real reason I was unable to leave with you. It was quite helpful, actually, although I still am not sure I would classify what he did as psychology. It was more that I expressed my feelings to him and he articulated them in a more accessible manner for Booth."

"Interesting. I never took you for the deeper meaning type, Tempe."

"I think we're digressing, Sully. We should get back to what I can here to discuss with you."

"And what exactly would that be, Temperance?"

She didn't reply immediately, reaching behind her instead and grabbing her purse. From it she pulled a small, dark photograph that Sully couldn't quite see. She reached across the table and placed it in his hands.

Then, in a soft voice trembling with fear, she finally said it.

"I'm pregnant, Sully."


	10. Talking It Over

**A/N:** Continuation of the conversation started in the last chapter. I know some of you guys don't like Sully, but I'm trying to keep him in character with what I saw on the show, and he really is a decent guy. "One of the good guys," as Booth would say. So I'm not going to make him evil, sorry!

Keep the reviews coming – you guys are really fantastic!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once again, Temperance and Sully sat in silence as they both processed what had just happened.

Sully looked down and stared at the ultrasound picture in his hands. He kept trying to do the math in his head – he'd been gone four months now, but she looked as though she couldn't be more than three, maybe three and a half months along. But, why come all the way to Miami to tell him if it wasn't his?

As hard as she tried, Temperance couldn't read his expression. Was he angry? Confused? Happy? Shocked? She just couldn't tell.

"Sully?"

He didn't respond, just continued staring at the picture she had placed in his hands.

"Sully? Please say something. Are you upset?"

Slowly he raised his head to look at her, confusion written all over his face.

"If you have questions, ask them. I'll answer anything you want to know."

"How far along are you?"

"Almost five months."

Her answer took his breath away. _5 months? Oh my God_, he thought. _She was already pregnant when I left._ The reality of the situation was finally starting to sink in.

"How long have you known?"

"I found out two weeks after you left."

"Why didn't you tell me? It isn't as if we never talked after I left! All those phone calls when I asked how you were? It never occurred to you to tell me you were pregnant?!"

Now she could definitely detect anger in his voice. She forced herself to stay calm.

"Until now, there was no reason for you to know. There was no reason for anyone to know."

"No reason? There was no reason to tell me that you're having my baby?!"

"There was no reason because I wasn't going to keep the baby."

"Excuse me?"

"I wasn't going to keep the baby. I was going to place the baby up for adoption. I wasn't going to be a mother and you weren't going to be a father."

Sully slumped down in his chair, running his fingers through his hair.

"So you were never going to tell me. What changed?"

"I've changed my mind, and I've decided to keep the baby. As soon as I made that decision, then I knew I needed to tell you. And here I am. I haven't even told Angela yet. Just you."

"What changed your mind?"

"See that picture?" Brennan asked, smiling as she pointed to the ultrasound in Sully's hand. "That's our daughter. She changed my mind."

"It's…you mean…we're having a girl?" Sully's tone seemed to soften quite a bit at this thought, and his whole body seemed to finally relax as he ran his finger over the picture.

Temperance only nodded, deciding it was best to let him make the next move.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the sun set, Temperance and Sully were still sitting there in silence. Seeing her shiver from the slight chill that now hung in the air, Sully led her down to the living area to continue their conversation.

"Temperance, what exactly do you want me to do?" Sully finally asked.

"I don't know Sully. If you don't want anything to do with the baby, or me, I'll understand. I'm not going to be chasing you down for child support or anything like that. I've got more than enough money from my books to take care of myself and my baby. I just thought that you would want to know, so that you can make your own decision about how involved you want to be."

Sully moved to sit next to Temperance, taking both her hands in his.

"I don't know what to say, Tempe. I do want to be a part of our baby's life, and I want to be there for you. You know I still love you."

"I know. But Sully, we can't just start over. I think we both know that even though you love me, and I love you too, we aren't really in love. And it wouldn't be fair to either of us, or to our baby, to put ourselves through a relationship that we both know isn't going to work."

Sully nodded, knowing that she was right.

"So what do we do now, Tempe?"

"I guess we still have a lot to talk about, don't we?"

"I suppose we do."

Once again, they sat in silence, mulling the situation in their minds. Finally, Sully broke the silence.

"When do you have to be back in D.C.?"

"I took leave until Monday. I definitely have to be back then, though. Cam almost killed me for taking these four days as it is, and I have an ultrasound after work that evening."

"Well, why don't I sail you back up to D.C.? That way, we can have some time to talk things over. If we left in the morning, we could probably be there by Friday."

"Well, I suppose it would give us a chance to talk," Temperance said as she considered Sully's offer.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Good heavens, Temperance, how much stuff do you have?" Sully laughed as he loaded her bags onto the boat the next morning. "How did you even get it all here? Didn't they have a baggage allowance on your flight?"

"Well, if you must know, I bought most of it once I got here. My regular clothes don't fit. I am pregnant, you know."

"So I've heard," Sully laughed again, as he reached out and gently placed his hand on her belly.

A few minutes later, what she'd said finally hit him.

"Wait a second! You actually went shopping? And on your own? Temperance, are feeling alright?" He loved teasing her about things like this.

"Hormones," she said, shrugging at his perplexed face. "I'm pregnant. Isn't it an accepted fact that I get to blame hormones for everything?"

Sully laughed as he loaded the last of their supplies and prepped the boat to set sail._Well, at least the trip won't be boring,_ he thought to himself as he began to maneuver the boat out of the harbor.


	11. Are You Ready?

**A/N:** I hope you enjoy chapter 11! I usually only put my author's notes at the start of the chapter, but just this once, please pay attention to the second author's note at the end of the chapter – I need your help with something for the next chapter!

* * *

"Sully, this is too much!" Temperance protested when Sully handed her the bag.

Sully just smiled. They'd been sailing for about a day and had just passed the border between North and South Carolina when Temperance had insisted that they pull into the next town they came to. Something about a craving for strawberry ice cream. So, Sully had dutifully docked the boat at Oak Island, a little town he'd visited once or twice on other trips. He'd gone on the ice cream mission, while she stayed on the boat to take a nap. In addition to the ice cream, though, he'd also returned with a bag full of pink onesies, baby booties and toys.

"Hey, sorry Temperance, you're going to have to get used to this. I'm going to spoil that little girl rotten."

"Fine," she sighed. "But did you have to get the ones with all the ruffles? I expect this sort of thing from Angela, not you! Why do I get the feeling the only practical clothing this baby is going to have will be what I buy? She certainly can't wear this every day," Temperance scrunched up her nose in mock disgust as she held up what appeared to be a very small, very ruffled pink tutu. Sully laughed as he steered the boat back out to sea.

* * *

"Sully, what are we going to do when we get back to Washington?" They'd been sailing for almost two days now, and with only a few hours left until they would reach their destination, Temperance figured it was now or never, if they were really going to have this conversation.

"Well, it will be evening when we get in. I figured we'd have some dinner, and then…" He didn't get very far before Temperance interrupted him.

"Sully, you know perfectly well that's not what I was referring to. What are we going to do about the baby?"

Sully sighed. Although he knew they had to have this conversation, he'd hoped to put it off as long as he could.

"I don't know, Tempe, I really don't know how these things work. I mean, I don't have a job in Washington, I don't have a house, other than the baby I have no connections left up there. And I was just starting to really settle into a life down in the Caribbean."

Temperance could hear the sadness and conflict in his voice, and she knew how hard this was for him.

"Sully, I don't want to ask you to give that up. But you have to think about our daughter. She deserves a full-time father."

"It just isn't fair, Tempe, to you or to me, what we have to give up."

"Fair?" Temperance surprised even herself with how angry she found herself getting at that statement. "Sully, this isn't about what is fair to me, or what is fair to you. This isn't about us anymore. It's taken me most of the last three and a half months to realize it, but I finally recognize that this is bigger than that. Before you left, you told me that my work was important, but that it wasn't important enough to be my whole life. And you know what? I resented that statement, because I couldn't imagine anything more important than what I do. But you were right, Sully. I just needed to find something so much more important that I couldn't push it aside – and this little girl, well, she's it. She's important enough to be my whole life. And she deserves that from me."

"Tempe…"

"I'm not finished, Sully. I didn't think I'd ever see the day when I found something more important than my work. I certainly never thought that I'd ever feel love like what I feel for my daughter. And maybe you don't feel love like that. Up until last week, I didn't feel it myself. I wasn't ready. After you left, Booth told me that all those things I think will never happen, they will happen, if I can just be ready for them. I'm ready for this. If you aren't, I'll be alright. But I need you to make a decision."

Temperance paused to catch her breath, then continued.

"You need to be ready for this, and you need to be ready for the fact that you can't live in both worlds. You either get to be her father and be one hundred percent devoted to her and there for her, or you don't get to be her father at all. I'd rather she grow up with one parent that she knows would do anything for her and give up anything for her, than grow up wondering why her father keeps coming in and out of her life. It might not be fair, but it is what's right."

Having finished the speech she'd be rehearsing ever since they set sail, Temperance slumped back down into her seat. Sully sat there in stunned silence, amazed at the amount of passion he'd seen in the normally stoic and unemotional Dr. Temperance Brennan.

She sighed heavily, then added in a much softer tone:

"Sully, I don't want to pressure you, as much as I know it sounds like that's what I'm doing. I want you to take as much time as you think you need to figure out if you are ready or not."

"Thank you, Temperance."

Deciding to give him some time alone to think, Temperance headed down to check her phone, now that they seemed to be closer to land, and hopefully closer to a signal tower.

* * *

"Hey Bones, me again. I know you don't want to talk to me. I just wanted to make sure you're okay. You've got us all worried, running off like this. Please, could you at least call Angela and let her know that you're alright? I'm worried, Bones. I hope you're okay."

"Bren, sweetie, it's Angela. Call me when you get this…please? You didn't even say goodbye before you left. That's not like you sweetie, I just want to be sure that you're alright. Okay? Good, well, I guess I'll talk to you soon, then."

All of her messages sounded something like those two. All fourteen of them. Temperance couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, knowing how worried her friends must have been. If she hadn't been so preoccupied with her anxiety about what would happen in Miami, she would have thought of that and called Angela before she left.

She quickly hit the speed dial on her phone, and waited anxiously to hear her friend's voice.

"Hello?"

"Hi Ange, it's Brennan."

"Oh thank God! Sweetie, we've all been so worried about you! I swear, if you hadn't called to check in soon, Booth was going to call the National Guard!"

"Why would Booth call the National Guard? What do they have to do with me?"

Angela laughed. Typical Brennan. "Sweetie, it was just a figure of speech. It means he was really worried about you, and thought something might have happened."

"Well then, that's what you should have said."

"Sorry Bren, I forgot you don't speak the same language as normal people."

"Hey!" Brennan protested, but she knew Angela was right.

"So where are you, sweetie? Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, Angela. I'm on my way back to Washington; I should be home in a few hours. Do you think you could come over tonight? I'm going to need a ride to the airport to pick up my car."

"Of course! Wait, how are you getting back if you aren't flying?"

"That's a long story, Ange. I'll tell you all about it when I see you, okay?"

"Well, I suppose I can wait," Angela pretended to pout. "See you at nine, then."

"Thanks, Ange. I really appreciate it."

* * *

Temperance was just stepping off the boat onto the pier when she felt Sully take hold of her wrist. They hadn't spoken much since she'd given him her ultimatum a few hours earlier. She hadn't tried to push it, either, figuring it was best just to let him think. So as she turned back to face him, she wasn't sure what to expect.

The first thing she noticed was that he had tears in his eyes. Although Sully certainly was an emotional man sometimes, she wasn't sure she had ever seen him cry.

Finally, he practically whispered, "I'm ready, Tempe. I'm ready for this."

"Are you sure?" She didn't want him rushing into anything he'd regret later.

"Yes. You were right. This baby, she's the most important thing in the world right now, and I want to be there for her one hundred ten percent."

Temperance smiled softly as Sully pulled her into an embrace and she rested her head on his shoulder. She felt herself relax for the first time since she'd stepped onto the boat two days earlier. She might not have been willing to admit it to anyone, but the thought of her daughter not having her father in her life had terrified her.

"Tempe?" Sully whispered into her ear.

"Yes?"

"We can't call her 'baby' forever. She needs a name."

Temperance pulled back and looked at him.

"Well, did you have something in mind?"

* * *

**A/N:** I didn't want to put this at the beginning because I didn't want to spoil anything for the chapter. So, here's what I need – name ideas! What should Brennan name her baby? Let me know what you think!


	12. Can I Scream Now?

**A/N:** So, we skip forward a few hours after where the last chapter ended. I hope that doesn't confuse anyone too much! I'm so happy to finally be writing Angela's reaction - I hope you all enjoy it! And be sure to let me know what you think of the baby's name!

* * *

"Come on, Bren, just tell me what's going on. I don't think I can handle the suspense much longer!"

Angela drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, looking over at her best friend in the passage seat.

"When we get back to my place, I'll tell you. You might drive off the road if I told you right now."

"That big, huh?"

Brennan sighed. "Yeah, Ange, that big."

"Can you at least tell me why your car is at the airport but you aren't?"

"I flew to Miami a few days ago. I had intended to fly back, so I left my car at the airport. But Sully gave me a ride back on his boat."

At the mention of Sully's name, Angela nearly did drive off the road.

"Sully! When did you start seeing him again? Sweetie, is he the big secret?" Angela prayed that that wasn't it. As much as she liked Sully, she didn't want anything else coming between Brennan and Booth.

"Angela, eyes on the road. I do not want to die tonight. No, Sully is not the big secret, but he does have a lot to do with it. I'll tell you everything when we get back to my apartment."

* * *

An hour later, Angela and Temperance finally made it back to the apartment, having retrieved Temperance's car from the airport lot amid nightmarish traffic. As soon as they were inside the apartment, Angela's questions started again.

"No more excuses, Bren, it's time to talk. I'm still worried about you. What is it that you're not telling me?"

Temperance sat down on her couch, and motioned for Angela to sit as well.

"Angela, I can only tell you what I'm about to tell you on two conditions."

"Okay, what are they?"

"Well, the first is that you cannot tell anyone, at least for a few days. I need to tell Booth next, and then talk to Cam, before anyone else finds out."

"Cam? What does she have to do with your secret?" Angela was extremely confused. What sort of secret was Brennan keeping that involved her ex-boyfriend, her partner and now her boss as well?

"It's going to affect my work, that's what. I'm serious, Ange. You can't even tell Hodgins."

"You want me to keep a secret from Hodgins? We don't keep secrets!"

"You're going to have to if you want me to tell you this one right now. It'll only be a few days – I'm going to tell Booth this weekend, then talk to Cam on Monday."

"I suppose I could do that. What's the other condition?"

"You can't scream," Brennan said, smiling to herself. She was fairly certain that even if Angela tried not to, she would scream anyway.

"Okay, no telling and no screaming. Got it. Now spill!"

Temperance took a deep breath and told her: "I'm pregnant, Angela."

And much to Temperance's surprise, Angela did not scream. She didn't even smile. She just sat there, looking at her in shock.

"Ange? Did you hear me?"

"Pregnant?" Angela practically whispered the word, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Yes."

Angela just nodded, leaning back into the couch, studying her best friend. _How could I not notice?_ she wondered. _Yeah, I noticed she'd gained a few pounds, but pregnant? No way!_

"Are you sure? I mean, have you seen a doctor?"

Temperance laughed softly. "Yeah, Ange, I've seen the doctor. I've seen him six or seven times, actually."

"What? Why? How far along are you?"

"5 months."

"5 months…" Angela's voice trailed off and Temperance could see her mind springing into action, trying to wrap itself around the math. Finally, she saw a light of recognition in her eyes.

"Oh God, the wedding…"

"Yeah."

"You knew then, didn't you?"

"Yes, I knew. I'd known for about two weeks at that point."

"That's why you told him no?"

"Yes."

"Oh sweetie!" Angela reached out and pulled Temperance into a hug.

"Wait, 5 months? Who…"

"Sully."

"Right. Wait a minute! Did you know when he left? Does he know now?"

"No, I didn't know when he left. But, yes, he knows now. That's why I left town; I met him in Miami to tell him."

"How'd he take it?"

"He was shocked. A little angry that I hadn't told him sooner, but overall he took it pretty well."

Angela was nodding, but there was still so much she didn't understand.

"Sweetie, why did you wait so long?"

* * *

It took Temperance about an half an hour to go through most of Angela's questions about the last five months. The whole time, her anxiety level kept rising as Angela didn't once smile, laugh or in any way show any of the excitement Temperance had been certain she'd have.

"What are you and Sully going to do now? Are you getting back together?"

"No. We talked, and even though we both care about each other, we aren't in love. He's decided to come back to Washington, although I'm not sure yet what he'll do here. I know he doesn't want to go back to the FBI. I feel a little guilty, knowing that our baby is the reason he's giving up his dream. He says he's ready and that he wants to do it. I can't help but wonder, though, if maybe he'll resent it – and the baby – sometime in the future."

"Sweetie, you can't think like that. You and I both know Sully isn't the type to hold a grudge. Besides, you know that baby will more than make up for anything he might be missing."

"I suppose so. This is all very strange for me. I never imagined I'd be in this position. I mean, you know I've never wanted kids. It isn't that I necessarily dislike children, I've just never felt any biological urge to reproduce."

"I know, sweetie. How do you feel about it now, though? I mean, are you happy?"

Angela held her breath while she waited for her answer – this was the question she'd been afraid to ask ever since she'd first heard the word 'pregnant' come out of Brennan's mouth.

"Yes. Surprisingly, I really am. It's the oddest thing, Angela. I've spent the last few months trying to pretend this wasn't happening, but now that I've decided that I am ready to do this, I feel so comfortable with it all."

Angela was silent for a few moments, until Temperance noticed she was biting hard on her lower lip.

"Ange, are you okay?"

Angela grinned at her best friend. "Bren, can I scream now?"

Temperance laughed as she nodded, covered her ears and heard Angela start to squeal.

When she finally calmed down enough to speak again, she asked the question Temperance had been waiting all night to answer.

"So, should I be buying little pink dresses or little blue pants?"

"Angela, I do not expect you to buy any clothing for my child. I perfectly capable of purchasing clothing on my own."

"Oh for crying out loud, Bren, you are going to have to get used to me spoiling the little angel! Now would you please just tell me? Otherwise I might just buy all black!" Angela couldn't help laughing at the thought of Brennan walking around with a little goth baby.

"Fine. Buy pink. I don't think Grace will like black."

"Pink?" Angela was squealing again. "Wait…did you say Grace?"

"That is her name." Temperance was trying hard not to laugh at the fact that Angela was close to tears from all her screaming and laughing. "Grace Christine Sullivan-Brennan."

"Well, that's sure a mouthful! Grace…Gracie. I love it, sweetie. Now, how does Sully feel about your name going last?"

"He doesn't have a choice. I told him I was not caving to his traditional alpha male dominance. If I'm going to be the one who carries her for nine months and goes through hours of painful labor, she is going to have my name. We've agreed to hyphenate her name, so officially she'll be Grace Sullivan-Brennan. I told him if he protests, I'll take his name out all together."

* * *

Angela and Temperance were sitting on the couch, Angela sorting through and critiquing Temperance's first attempts at maternity wear.

"Oh, _Gawd_, sweetie, what is this?" Angela couldn't suppress her laughter as she held up the ruffled pink onesie Sully had picked up in North Carolina.

"Don't look at me. Sully picked the baby clothes. I wasn't there."

"No offense to Sully, but sweetie, he can't be allowed to dress this baby. Do you want her to be scarred for life?"


	13. Everybody Leaves

**A/N:** I had a really hard time writing this chapter, so I hope that it came out alright. I know that the last bit of Booth's reaction may seem a bit out of character. Don't rush to any conclusions – his actions will be explained in the next chapter or two, and I think that will clarify his thinking quite a bit, and hopefully make it less out of character.

Speaking of the next chapters, just a fair warning to everyone that there will be a bit of a wait for it. Not too long, I hope, but longer than usual for this story. The reason is that I am going on vacation tonight and will not have internet access until Wednesday at the earliest. Try to be patient – I'll still be writing, and should have several chapters ready for quick updates when I get back!

* * *

"Booth." Seeley Booth barked into the office phone as sank down behind his desk at the Hoover Building.

"Seeley Booth, I've got half a mind to march over and kill you right now!"

"Angela? What did I do now?" Booth was extremely confused now, wondering what could possibly have made her angry with him again.

"Since when is your cell phone off all night? You got a new girlfriend or something? I've been trying to call you since midnight!"

_Don't say yes, whatever you do don't say yes_, she thought anxiously.

"My cell phone? I didn't turn it off – hold on, let me check it," Booth muttered, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Damn! Ange, I'm sorry, the battery's dead. I've been distracted the last few days, I must have forgotten to charge it."

"I suppose I can forgive that. We've all been a bit on edge lately."

"So, what is so important that you were calling me all night? Is it Bones? Did something happen?" All of a sudden, Booth was worried again.

"Calm down, Booth! She's fine. I just thought you should know that she's back in Washington."

"What? But how? I put a watch on her name with all the airlines – I was supposed to be informed when she bought her return ticket!"

"Well, yeah, see…okay, the thing is, she didn't fly back."

"How did she get back, then?"

Angela sighed. She wanted to tell him everything, but she knew Brennan needed to do that in her own time.

"You'll have to ask her yourself. Look, she's going to call you today and…"

"How do you know she's going to call?"

"What? Oh, she told me last night. Listen, stop interrupting me, its rude! I'm trying to tell you that she is going to ask to see you today. You need to make time for her, no matter how busy you might be. And when you see her, you need to be gentle with her. Whatever you do, don't yell. Try to be understanding."

"What do you think I'm going to do? Scream at her? Ange, I think I know how to be there for her."

"Um, right. So Monday, that was your idea of how to be there for her?"

"Ouch. That's below the belt, Ange."

"Just try not to be judgmental. And call me when you're done if you need to talk about it, okay?"

"Talk about what, Ange?"

"Just…'it'. Be nice Booth, I'll talk to you later!"

And with that, she hung up the phone, leaving Booth sitting at his desk, staring at the receiver in his hand and wondering what the hell was about to happen.

* * *

Even when she'd first called Sully, or when she'd sat there telling Angela, Temperance hadn't been this nervous. Not even close. She closed her eyes, swallowed hard and dialed his number.

"Booth."

_Stay calm, just stay calm_. "Hi Booth, it's me."

"Oh, um, hi Bones, how's it going?"

Ignoring his attempts at small talk, Brennan jumped straight to the point.

"I need to talk to you, Booth."

"Okay, sure. Want to meet me at the diner for lunch?"

"I'd rather we didn't do this in a public place. I'm highly likely to cry at some point during the conversation, and I believe you may find yourself wanting to yell at me. Better to do that in private. Why don't you come over for dinner?"

"Sure. I can pick up Wong Foo's on the way over, if you want." _What the hell is going on?_ Booth wondered, contemplating the various possibilities and coming up blank yet again.

"That sounds good, Booth. Shall we say six o'clock?"

"See you then, Bones."

* * *

At exactly six that evening, Booth stood outside her door, a box of Chinese food resting in his arms. He hesitated only a moment before knocking tentatively on the door. Whatever she had to tell him, it couldn't be worse than not knowing, than letting all the possibilities repeat themselves over and over in his imagination.

Temperance stood on the other side of the door, fighting the urge to run. She took one last deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi Booth."

"Hiya Bones. I got all your favorites here, I hope you're hungry."

She ushered him into the apartment, and they settled in at the table to eat in silence. She'd planned to tell him right away, in a rip off the Band-Aid sort of a way, but seeing him, actually being face to face with him, seemed to put her at a loss for the words she'd spent all day rehearsing.

It was Booth who finally broke the awkward silence.

"I'm really glad you called, Bones."

When she just looked at him without responding, he took it as a cue to continue.

"Look, I want to apologize for Monday. I was way out of line, and I'm sorry that I upset you."

"Booth, it isn't your –" Temperance began, but a wave of Booth's hand silenced her before she could finish.

"Let me finish. I know that you've been upset with me for a while now. Ever since what happened at Angela's wedding, things have been off between us. Please don't insult me by denying it again."

Temperance opened her mouth to protest, but a look from Booth silenced her yet again.

"Part of me wishes I could take it all back, forget it ever happened, just so that we could go back to what we had before. But the other part of me – a bigger part of me – isn't sorry it happened. Bones, I needed to say what I said, I needed you to know how I felt. How I still feel. You've made it clear you don't want anything beyond a partner out of me, and I have to respect that decision, even if I can't pretend to understand it. I just need you to tell me what to do. How do I make us better again? How do I fix this?"

At his last question, he reached out and took her hand in his, his eyes begging her for an answer.

"Booth…" she started to speak, but her voice faltered as the tears welled up in her eyes. She swallowed hard and tried again.

"Seeley, you can't fix everything. I know you think you can, but sometimes you simply can't. That's why I asked you over tonight. I need to explain what has been going on the last few months."

"Bones, I know –" This time it was Temperance cutting him off.

"No, Booth, you don't. You think you know why I've been distant, you think you know why I've withdrawn from you, but you don't. I take responsibility for that. I let you go on believing that all of this was because of one kiss, because it was easier than telling you the truth. These last few months have been hell without you around, having to lie to you every day."

She paused, catching the flashes of confusion and hurt in his eyes. _Please understand, please don't hate me,_ she silently implored with her eyes, as she steeled herself to continue.

"Booth, this might not be easy for you to hear, but I need you to know the truth. I…I'm…well, I'm…" she paused, trying to get a grip on her emotions. "…I'm pregnant."

She heard his sharp intake of breath and saw the shock spread through his face.

_Did she say what I think she said?_ His mind was racing a mile a minute as he tried to process her statement.

"How…who…pregnant?" He finally managed to stutter.

"Yes, pregnant. I'm fairly certain you are familiar with the how of that condition. As for the who, well, that would be Sully."

His slight wince at hearing the name did not escape her notice.

"Sully? But he hasn't been around in months…I don't get it," Booth said, stumbling through his words, still unable to fully grasp what he was being told.

"Four months, actually. But, I'm five months pregnant. I only found out two weeks after he left."

"That's why you went to Miami?"

"Yes. I needed to tell him the truth, too. He needed to know that he's going to be a father."

She saw him gulp hard, trying to get out another question. Temperance certainly was never good at reading body language, but she was fairly certain she knew what he was afraid to ask, so she answered before he could get it out.

"No, we are not getting back together. Sully's a great guy, but I'm not in love with him."

He thought he might have imagined it, but it seemed to him that she put extra emphasis on the last statement. Regardless, he relaxed significantly after hearing her answer.

"You should know, however, that he does plan on moving back to Washington. He's gone down to the Bahamas to settle up a few things he had going down there, but he'll be back for good in a few weeks. I don't know exactly how things are going to work, but I don't want to deny him the opportunity to have a full part in his daughter's life."

"Daughter?" He couldn't help but smile at the thought of a little version of Temperance running around.

She nodded. "Grace Christine Sullivan-Brennan."

As he heard the baby's last name, a realization seemed to suddenly hit him. He quickly stood up and grabbed his coat.

"I should get going, Bones. I…uh…I'm happy for you," he managed to get out, although even Temperance could tell he was anything but happy at that moment. "You and Sully are going to make great parents. I'll…I'll see you at work."

"Seeley, wait!" she called out as he hurried away, but the sound of the door clicking shut was all that she heard.

Temperance slumped in her seat as the tears began to fall. _Everyone leaves_, she thought sadly. _I knew he would too. Everyone leaves._

Her hand on her belly, she whispered softly, "I'll never leave you, Grace. Never."


	14. Aftermath

**A/N:** I'm back! Did you miss me? You will be happy to know that long plane rides are quite perfect for working on chapters, which means I've had plenty of time to get this one just right. So, here is the aftermath of Brennan's conversation with Booth – enjoy!

* * *

After a long weekend of trying to rationalize Booth's sudden departure, Temperance was eager to return to work on Monday morning, hoping to find distraction and solace in the skeletons. As soon as she saw Angela headed her way, however, she knew there'd be little hope of distraction that morning.

"Morning, sweetie!" Angela called as she climbed onto the platform. When she got closer to Temperance, her voice dropped to a whisper to avoid being overheard by their colleagues. "So, how did it go on Friday? How'd Booth take the news? Did he sweep you off your feet and declare that he'd take care of you forever?" Angela giggled at this last thought.

"He left," Temperance replied, her voice flat and unwavering.

"He what?" Angela couldn't grasp what she had just heard.

"He left, exactly as I suspected he would. I don't blame him, it's completely rational for him to detach himself from the situation. I told him the truth, he wished me well and practically bolted out the door. He left."

Angela couldn't believe how calm Brennan was being about all of this, and she she knew it must be eating her up inside.

"Bren, sweetie, did you tell him everything? I mean, did you tell him you lied that night? That you do want to have a relationship with him?"

"No. He left before I could explain that. It wouldn't have helped, though. Trust me, Ange, a relationship with me is the furthest thing from Seeley Booth's mind right about now."

"Oh sweetie, that can't be true. Just give him time, okay?" Angela reached out and put her hand on Brennan's forearm to comfort her as best she could without being obvious to Zack, who was now approaching the platform.

"Good morning, Dr. Brennan! I took the liberty of beginning the cursory examination on the skeleton for Dr. Hoffman's dig. Would you care to review my findings before you continue with the detailed authentication?"

Angela shook her head, hearing Brennan and Zack begin rattling off technical terms as she walked off the platform. It never ceased to amaze her that Brennan could suppress her emotions so well under all those layers of technical speak. Nevertheless, she knew her friend was hurting and she was not about to stand by and let it happen without a fight.

* * *

Temperance braced herself as she watched Camille Saroyan ascend to the platform. Cam had been accomodating enough when she called to ask for leave, and she knew that she was genuinely concerned for her, but at the same time, Temperance recognized the tight situation her absence had created, and she was certain there'd be repercussions.

"Dr. Brennan, I'm glad to see you decided to join us this morning. May I please have a word with you in my office before you begin today's authentication?"

"Certainly, Dr. Saroyan. Zack, would please continue documenting the bone structure here? I'll be back shortly."

The two women walked in silence back to Cam's office. Once inside, Brennan was careful to close the door to avoid being overheard. Cam moved behind her desk, currently cluttered with overdue reports, and sat down in her chair.

"Please, Dr. Brennan, have a seat."

"Thank you." Temperance sat down on the edge of one of Cam's chairs, waiting for the onslaught of accusations.

"Dr. Brennan, I'd like to start by expressing my concern for you personally. Don't think your change in behavior over the last several months has gone unnoted. I need you healthy and prepared for your work. I want you to know that I am here if you need to talk, and if you feel you need time off to recover from whatever it is that has been affecting you, I'd be happy to discuss that with you as well. I would, however, appreciate it if in the future, you refrained from taking such last minute leave. I'm not sure that you understand the difficult position you placed the Jeffersonian in. We have a reputation to maintain and if we cannot process cases in a timely manner, that reputation suffers. We cannot miss any more deadlines while you deal with whatever sort of emotional distress you may find yourself in."

Brennan couldn't help but smile to herself when she realized that Cam thought she was having a mental breakdown.

"Dr. Saroyan, I do appreciate that I placed undue stress on the rest of the team by leaving on such short notice. I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Zack and I are already working on Dr. Hoffman's skeleton, and I believe we can have the authentication completed by tomorrow evening."

"Very well, Dr. Brennan, so long as you understand that this sort of disappearing act will not be tolerated in the future."

"I understand." She stood to leave. Cam picked up her coffee mug and turned to her reports.

Just before she reached the door, Temperance realized she hadn't said the one thing she needed to. She turned around and looked back at her boss.

"Oh, and Cam? For the record, I am not having an emotional breakdown. I'm pregnant."

Cam had just taken a sip of coffee when Dr. Brennan had begun to speak. At the word 'pregnant,' she nearly choked in shock, sending coffee flying all over a pile of expense reports. Temperance tried hard to stifle her laughter.

"Cam, are you alright?"

"Did you just say that you're pregnant?"

"Yes, I did."

"Well. That is something. I don't quite know what to say…Dr. Brennan, you never cease to surprise me. I was under the impression that you didn't want children. I wasn't even aware you were seeing anyone."

"I don't want _children_, Cam, but I do want _this_ child. And I'm not seeing anyone."

"Oh. Then who…" Cam let the question trail off, recognizing that it was really none of her business.

"Who's the father? Agent Sullivan." Noting yet another surprised expression on her boss' face, Temperance continued with her now-standard explanation. "I'm five months along. Sully only left four months ago."

"I see. Well, I'm assuming then that congratulations are in order?" Cam was quite unsure of herself in this situation.

"Yes, thank you."

* * *

"Booth!" Angela's voice rang out, loud and angry, through his office.

Booth looked up from his desk, startled by the sight of the artist in his office. In all the time he had worked with the Jeffersonian, she had never been to his office. So the fact that she had come all the way over in the middle of the morning told him he was not about to enjoy this conversation.

"Let me guess, you were just in the neighborhood?" he asked wryly. Angela chose to ignore him.

"You've got some nerve, you know! I do not like being made a liar of, Booth, especially when it hurts my best friend!"

"Angela, what on Earth are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about? Come on, don't insult me! You know darn well what I'm talking about! I'm talking about you walking out on Brennan!"

"Oh, right. That."

"Yeah, that! How could you hurt her like that?"

"Angela, she was just telling me as a courtesy. It isn't like she needs my approval to be happy."

"Your approval? Oh my God, Booth, you can be such an idiot sometimes! You really think she was telling you as some sort of professional courtesy?"

"I can't think of any other reason."

"How about the fact that she loves you?"

"She what?" Booth was looking at Angela in shock. He couldn't have been more stunned if she had suddenly sprouted a second head.

"She loves you! You remember that night after my wedding?" He nodded, but she didn't wait for his answer. "Did you know she wanted to tell you yes? Did you know she actually does want to be more than your partner?"

"But she…" Booth was now thoroughly confused.

"But she said no. Yeah, I know that. When I found out, I told her that was a stupid thing to do. Do you know why she didn't say yes? It's the same reason she didn't tell you she was pregnant for so many months! She was afraid that if you found out, you would leave her. You know as well as anyone how afraid she is of people leaving her. She'd rather push people away and be alone than let them in and risk being abandoned. She knew she was pregnant that night the two of you kissed. She thought that if you knew, you'd leave her. That being with someone who was having another man's baby would be too much for you."

Angela paused for a moment, letting the realization hit Booth with full force. Just as he was about to speak, she continued.

"I told her that was crazy. I told her, Seeley Booth is a good man. I told her, Booth loves you baby or no baby. I told her, Booth has his own kid, he'll understand. I told her, Booth will not leave you. And what do you go and do? You leave her! What the hell is the matter with you?"

"I can't do it, Angela. I love her, I really do, but I can't be that guy."

"What guy? The one guy in her life who actually stays? The guy who loves her?"

"No, the _other_ guy. Every time Rebecca gets serious with a guy, I see less and less of Parker. I already struggle for the visitation I get, and every time she gets a new boyfriend and wants to change the plan, she threatens to take him away again. Sully isn't my favorite person in the world, but he's a good guy. I can't be the guy that takes his kid away from him."

Booth sighed and put his head in his hands. Angela wouldn't understand.

Angela couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he really comparing Brennan with his ex? She moved closer, leaning over his desk so that she was right in his face, and before he could figure out what she was doing, she slapped him hard across the face.

"You know something, Booth? For a guy that is so good at reading people, you are about as thick-skulled as you can be when it comes to Bren. The _other_ guy? I mean _really_?"

"Yes, really, Angela. You have no idea what happens in situations like this!" Now Booth found himself getting angry, and not just about the fact that the side of his face was stinging.

"You know what, Booth, you are behaving like a world-class idiot! Not to mention a hypocrite!"

"How am I being a hypocrite?"

"You really can't see that? You expect her to accept your son in order to have a relationship with you. Now that the situation is flipped, you are refusing to have a relationship with her because of her daughter! And to compare Brennan to your ex? To actually think, even for one second, that she would behave that way? If you can't see how wrong that is, then maybe you don't deserve her!"

And with that, Angela stormed out of Booth's office, leaving a stunned Booth to ponder her accusations.


	15. Think About It

**A/N:** I am so sorry this didn't get posted when I said I would – I really wasn't sure how to put all of what I wanted to happen in this chapter into words, and I haven't had as much time to write while I get caught up at work. Sorry!

I know you all really want to see the Booth/Brennan conversation, which I promise is coming soon (and I think will be worth the wait!). In the meantime, the rest of the squints needed something to do!

* * *

Temperance Brennan somehow felt less nervous about telling her remaining two colleagues than she had about any of her previous discussions. She smiled to herself as she ascended the platform, knowing that after this, she would never have to have this conversation again.

"Zack, Hodgins, I'd like to talk to the two of you for a minute."

"Dr. Brennan, is everything alright?" Hodgins asked, knowing that his boss had been acting strange for several weeks now.

"Everything is fine, Hodgins. I just have something I need to tell the two of you."

"Dr. Brennan," Zack interrupted, "I don't mean to be forward, but is this the time where you tell us that you are pregnant?"

Now it was Hodgins' turn to nearly choke, as he stared at Zack in horror.

"Zack, have you lost your mind? Pregnant?" Hodgins couldn't believe that Zack had dared to ask the question.

"Well, I was simply basing a question on my observation that…" Zack was cut off by the unusual sound of Dr. Brennan laughing. They both turned to stare at her in awe.

"Let me guess? Altered gait? Expanding ilia?" Brennan smiled as she asked the questions.

"Well…um…yes, Dr. Brennan, those were a few of the signs I observed." Zack was not sure if he should be scared or relieved that she seemed to be acknowledging his supposition.

"How long have you known, Zack?"

"I first noticed about 6 weeks ago."

"And why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, it was none of my business, Dr. Brennan. I assumed that when the time came, you would inform us all. Until such time, as long as it didn't affect our work, I felt it would be out of place to bring it up."

"I see. Hodgins? Did you know as well?"

"I can honestly say, Dr. Brennan, I have never in my life been so surprised."

"Very well. Zack, as you asked, yes, this is the time when I tell you that I am pregnant. Five months, to be exact."

"Dr. Brennan! Congratulations!' Hodgins tried to conceal his shock, knowing that Angela would have plenty of details for him later.

"Thank you, Hodgins," Brennan replied as he pulled her into an awkward hug.

As Hodgins and Zack congratulated Brennan and Hodgins began asking the usual questions – father, sex, etc. – Angela slowly made her way onto the platform. She knew as soon as she saw the goofy grin on Zack's face and witnessed Hodgins trying to touch Brennan's stomach that they were finally in on the truth.

"I wouldn't do that, babe. Bren might just kill you," Angela warned Hodgins. "And then I'd have to find someone else to keep me warm at night."

"Well I certainly wouldn't want that!" Hodgins replied.

Hodgins retreated and slipped his arm around Angela's waist. He immediately noted that she seemed more subdued than usual, as though something were weighing on her mind.

"You okay?" he whispered in her ear.

She nodded slowly, adding, "We'll talk later."

* * *

Brennan was glad that everyone now knew the truth. Thinking up excuses for leaving early every other week had become quite exhausting lately. That afternoon, she had simply poked her head into Cam's office and announced that she needed to leave early for a doctor's appointment. With her pregnancy now public knowledge, Cam had offered no objections.

Brennan had slipped out of the Jeffersonian at four o'clock. Instead of heading for the parking structure and her car, she walked down to the front entrance, where Sully was waiting to pick her up in his rental car. For reasons she didn't fully understand, he had insisted on flying back for the afternoon just to accompany to her appointment.

"You really didn't have to come all the way back, Sully," she said, as she slipped into the passenger's seat.

"You know, most people start with, 'Hi, how was your flight,'" Sully teased as he pulled away from the Jeffersonian.

"I'm just saying, it isn't as though this is the only doctor's appointment I'll have. I go every two weeks. The sonogram isn't going to change much from this visit to the next one. You could have waited until you got back from Nassau."

"Hey, I want to be there. This is my baby, too, remember? If you have to go to the doctor, I have to go to the doctor."

"It isn't rational, Sully. You aren't accomplishing anything by being there. It isn't as though I am incapable of seeing the doctor alone. I've been doing it for months now."

"C'mon, Tempe, I just want to be there. This is what dads do, okay? Think of it as a societally accepted norm that you just have to deal with."

She sighed, knowing that it was pointless to have this argument now that he was already here.

_Well, Martha will sure get a kick out of finding out that there actually is a father._ She smiled as she thought of what the technician's reaction would be.

* * *

Booth spent most of the afternoon trying to distract himself with work, but with no new cases popping up, paperwork just wasn't taking his mind off his conversation with Angela. Just as he was about to give up and go home early, he was interrupted by a knock at the door. Looking up, he was shocked to see another familiar face in his doorway.

"What, is it bring your squints to work day?" he sighed, as Hodgins made his way into the office.

"Dude, relax, I'm not here to slap you around." Hodgins raised his hands as a peace offering. "Besides, I hear Ange beat me to that one."

Booth instinctively rubbed his hand over his still-sore cheek. For a woman as sweet as Angela, she sure packed a lot of power in her slap.

"I wouldn't recommend getting her angry at you, Hodgins. She's vicious," Booth warned.

Hodgins just laughed.

"So what are you doing here, Hodgins? I've seen more squints in my office today than, well, ever. I'm going to guess you've been talking to Angela?"

"Guilty."

"Alright. If you aren't going to slap me around, what are you here for?"

"I want to know what you are planning to do with regards to your situation with Dr. Brennan."

"I don't know, Hodgins, I just don't know. It's a lot to think about, and I feel as though no one is willing to give me time to do that. My brain doesn't work as fast as your squint brain. I need time."

"I get that. Maybe you should talk to her, though. It seems to me that you up and left before the two of you got a chance to really talk about anything."

"I don't know. You think she'd even want to talk to me?"

"You'll never know unless you try," Hodgins said. "Just think about it, okay?"

When Booth nodded, Hodgins rose out of his chair and quietly left the room. For the second time that day, Booth was left alone with the words of a squint running through his head.

Knowing that he wasn't getting any more work done that day, he quickly packed up his things and headed home. He certainly had plenty to think about that evening.


	16. Letting Him In

**A/N: **First of all, thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews on the last chapter! I am so sorry that I have not replied to more of them personally, and I am also sorry that it has taken so long to get this chapter up. I'll spare you the details, but I think I've logged more air miles in the last week than I did in all of last year. Silly work emergencies.

Anyway, this chapter is rather short, but sets the stage for the next chapter, which is the big Booth/Bones conversation you have all been waiting for, and which I am just dying to share with you all. I hope to have that one finished and up by tomorrow. I'm anticipating it taking only one chapter, although that may change.

**Disclaimer:** Haven't posted one for a while, so I thought I'd remind everyone in case you forgot. I still own none of these characters. Actually, I guess I own Martha since I made her up, but I don't mind sharing.

* * *

"Sully, stop that! I do not need you to hold my hand!" Temperance Brennan smacked the offending hand with a hard slap just to make her point.

"Ow! You know, Temperance, some women like the father to hold their hand during the ultrasound. You know, to show their support and excitement?" Sully smiled at her.

"Sully, do I look like other women? You can't possibly expect me to act like some suburban housewife."

"C'mon, it isn't as though I'm trying to keep you barefoot and pregnant, just hold your hand while we look at our daughter."

"Why would you want me to not wear shoes? What would be the point of that?" Brennan was now confused.

Martha giggled, watching the exchange between the two. She'd nearly collapsed from shock when Dr. Brennan had showed up for her evening appointment with a man in tow. When she had introduced him as the baby's father, Martha felt her heart stop for just a moment.

"There she is," Martha pointed to baby on the screen. "Everything looks like it is right where it should be."

Sully reached out and ran his hands over the image on the monitor.

"Hi there, baby Grace," he whispered.

Temperance rolled her eyes.

"Sully, you do realize that you are speaking to a monitor, don't you? You'll get no response, it's an inanimate object."

Martha laughed again as she packed up the ultrasound equipment.

"Dr. Brennan, would you like printouts of the ultrasound?"

"Yes, thank you, Martha. Can I get two copies, please?"

* * *

Seeley Booth drummed his fingers nervously on his steering wheel, staring at Temperance Brennan's dark apartment. He glanced again at his clock: 7:15, it screamed at him, almost mocking him.

_Where is she?_ he worried. _Angela said she left at four, so where is she?_

Finally, after what seemed like hours, a car pulled up in front of the building. He rolled down his window slightly, hoping to catch some of the conversation between the couple he saw getting out. He couldn't help but smile when her voice reached his ears.

"Sully, honestly! I am perfectly capable of opening my own car door, and I am certainly capable of walking myself to my door, thank you very much! Really, why must you insist on asserting your alpha-male tendencies? Just because I am pregnant does not mean I am in any weak or incapable of basic actions. Besides, if you leave that car sitting there, it will be towed by the time you get back down. They're very strict on this street."

Booth couldn't catch Sully's reply, but he cringed when he saw him lean in, softly placing a kiss on her cheek and affectionately placing his hand on her stomach. He was reassured, however, by the fact that Sully did not accompany her into the apartment, instead returning to his car and leaving as soon as she was inside.

Booth waited about half an hour, trying to work up the nerve to go to her door.

This is ridiculous. I am Seeley Booth. Special Agent Seeley Booth. Federal agent. I can take down dangerous criminals every day but I can't walk up to her door and talk to her?

Finally, taking a deep breath, he left his car and quickly made his way to her apartment door, hoping to reach it before he lost his nerve. He knocked softly on the door, feeling his courage disappear as her footsteps approached.

"Booth? What are you doing here?" she asked, as she opened the door, leaving room for him to enter the apartment.

"I…um…well, I need to talk to you, Bones. About the baby…and, well…about us."

She nodded and led him into the apartment. Settling in on opposite sides of the couch, they stared awkwardly at one another, each hoping the other would be the first to break the icy silence.


	17. I See You

**A/N:** Finally! It's here! The big conversation! Yippee!! I hope it was worth the wait...it isn't quite all in this chapter, there'll be a little bit in the next chapter too.

* * *

"Bones, I'm so sorry," Booth began.

"Booth," Temperance spoke softly. "It's okay, really. You don't have to apologize. I get it…this was all too much, and that's okay. I understand, and I hope we'll still be able to work together professionally."

Booth laughed dryly. "I don't think you do get it, Temperance. This," he gestured between the two of them, "this has never been strictly professional. There's always been something there, I know it and whether you want to deny it or not, you know it. And I'm sorry that I freaked and walked away when you told me about the baby. I should have stayed, we should have talked then. But I'm here, Bones, and I'm not going anywhere until we talk."

"Okay, so talk. Why did you walk away?"

"I freaked out. You seemed so excited about this baby…"

"I am excited about Grace, Booth. Don't you see? She's my chance to get it right. She's my chance at loving someone who will never walk away. My chance to give someone the life I didn't get to have. My chance to help someone grow up with two parents who she knows love her more than anything and will never, ever leave her."

"That's why I walked away, Bones. Two parents. You and Sully. There's no room for me in that equation. I didn't even know if you wanted me in that equation…I mean, you're the one who told me that we could never have anything beyond a professional relationship."

"I lied."

"So I heard."

"Angela?"

"Angela."

"I'm sorry…I wasn't even sure I was keeping the baby at that point. I knew if I told you, you'd want me to keep her, what with your Catholic sensibilities and all that. But at the same time, I thought if you knew I was having another man's baby, you wouldn't be able to accept me in your life. I didn't think I could deal with the pain of you leaving me, so I stopped it before you had a chance to."

"You didn't trust me."

"Was I wrong?"

"Yes…no…I don't know. I love you, Bones, I really do. And I do want to have a relationship with you. I want to be the one you wake up to every morning, and I want to be the one you come home to every night. I want to take care of you, even though you don't need it, and I want to be there for you when you hurt. I love you."

"Booth…" Temperance scooted closer to him, tenderly placing a hand on his thigh.

"But, I just don't know if I can do that." Her hand instantly pulled back as he looked guiltily into her eyes. "You know what I've gone through with Parker. Every time Rebecca sees someone new, she cuts back my visitation, starts shutting me out of his life. He's my son, and whether I see hangs on whether some other man thinks it's appropriate. I can't be that other guy, the one who keeps a child away from its father. It shouldn't matter to me that you are going to have a baby; after all, I have Parker. But I just can't be responsible for keeping Sully from being the father he should be."

"Are you kidding me?" Booth looked at Brennan and saw that she looked truly hurt and offended. "How could you possibly think I would be anything like Rebecca? You really think that I would do that?"

"I never thought Rebecca would, but she did and still does. Can you give me one good reason why you wouldn't?"

"As a matter of fact, I can."

"Really?" Booth was very surprised at her answer. "What exactly is that reason?"

"You," she replied softly.

"Me?" he whispered back, thoroughly confused.

"Yes, you," she began explaining. "Because of you, I've see this from both sides. I've seen you with Parker, Booth. I see the way his face lights up when you're around. I see the way you look when you talk about him; you get so happy your eyes even seem to be sparkling. I see the way he cries when he has to leave you at the holidays. I see the look in his eyes, the one that says 'this afternoon isn't enough,' the same way you look whenever you say goodbye to him. I see the hurt in your eyes when you are blocked out of his life. You are an amazing father, Booth, and I've seen how unfairly you've been treated when it comes to your son. How could you even think that I would treat Sully like Rebecca has treated you, after everything you've shown me?"

Brennan sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes. Booth knew he should say something but just couldn't find the words.

"Look, Booth, I know this isn't going to be easy with Sully and I. We're never going to get married, or even live together, so we'll never be a traditional family. We just don't work as a couple. I'm too practical and he's too…well…he's got too much...what did Angela call it?...whimsy. I mean, he spent most of my doctor's appointment today talking about how he was going to name a sandwich after Grace when he finally opens that restaurant he's been going on about."

Booth couldn't help but laugh at the thought.

"I get that I'll have to be responsible for most of Grace's financial care, but that's not important to me. I want her to have both sides. I want her to be rational and practical, but I miss so much by overanalyzing everything. I want her to have her father around to show her that everything doesn't have to be so black and white. I want him around to show her all those things that I can't. We're going to be equal partners in this. I'm not going to make Sully an 'every-other-weekend-and-holidays' type father. He'll be there whenever she needs him. He'll be involved in all the important decisions. I want him there for all her big moments. Okay, well, everything but the delivery room. We're still negotiating that one. But," and here she paused for emphasis, "if you think for one second that I would let you or any other alpha male march into my life – into my daughter's life – and change her relationship with her father, then you are sorely mistaken, Seeley Booth. Even if I am completely and totally in love with you."


	18. Three Little Words

**A/N: **Well, here it is! Sorry for the delay; I had a bit of trouble putting what I was imagining in my head into words on a page. I hope I did this scene justice! I'm thinking that there are only a few more chapters left in this story before I have to (sadly) bring it to its natural conclusion, so if there are any more specific interactions that anyone would like to see, please let me know. I'm still debating whether I want to write a scene where she tells Max. His reaction would be pretty priceless, I think.

* * *

Seeley Booth couldn't believe what he was hearing. _Did she just say she loves me?_ Everything else seemed to fade away as her words sank in and made his heart pound furiously in his chest.

"Booth?" Temperance's voice was soft and tentative. "I'm not an expert on these sorts of conversations, but I think this is the part where you say something."

He laughed slightly and reached down to tilt her face towards him.

"You're right, you aren't an expert. This is actually the part where I kiss you," he whispered as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Her arms snaked up around his neck, practically pulling him on top of her as she sought to deepen the kiss. Electricity coursed through their veins, and when they finally broke away from each other, Booth stared intently into her eyes, his forehead resting softly on hers. His heart was beating rapidly as images of her reaction to their last kiss raced through his mind.

"No running away this time, Bones, right?" he whispered, desperately seeking reassurance that she was really giving him this chance. He wasn't sure his heart could take another rejection after a kiss like that.

"No running away, Booth. I'm in this," Temperance whispered back, tears glistening down her cheeks. "I am so in this, and I'm not going anywhere."

Booth smiled as his palms came to rest along her jawline, his thumbs reaching up to gingerly wipe away her tears. "I'm not going anywhere either," he whispered, as he gently kissed each of her damp cheeks. "So no tears, okay?"

"I can't help it," she laughed. "Damn hormones have been killing me."

"Sure," he laughed with her. "Blame the poor, defenseless hormones."

"I'm pregnant. I'm told it's what pregnant women do. That, and it's the only logical explanation I have for my irrational bursts of crying, not to mention cravings for strawberry ice cream with peanut butter."

"Ice cream and peanut butter, huh?" Booth laughed.

"No, _strawberry_ ice cream and peanut butter," she corrected him.

"Makes that much of a difference, does it?"

"Yes," she replied somewhat defensively. "And only chunky peanut butter. Isn't that strange?"

"Well, I suppose it isn't the strangest pregnancy craving I've ever heard of. Rebecca had a thing for pickles and onions with every meal when she was carrying Parker…even at breakfast," Booth answered, grimacing slightly at the memory.

"Yes, but you know me, Booth. When have you ever seen me eat anything but vanilla ice cream?"

"Um…well, never, now that I think about it."

"That's because I hate flavors. Especially strawberry. Strawberry ice cream is disgusting! Imagine burying perfectly good fruit in all that sweetener and fat! And yet, there's a gallon and a half of it in my freezer right now."

"A gallon and a half, Bones?"

"Is that a problem Booth? Does my ice cream consumption bother you?" she asked playfully, her hands on her hips.

"No," he laughed. "I suppose you have about as much peanut butter in the fridge, right?"

"Naturally. Why, do you want some?"

* * *

An hour later, Temperance and Booth were curled up on the couch, finishing the last of a bowl of strawberry ice cream swirled with peanut butter. Temperance couldn't help but notice that Booth seemed distracted, but decided to let it go and let him come to her when he was ready.

"Hey Bones?" Booth finally asked. She looked up at him, locking her eyes with his. "Did you really mean what you said earlier? About wanting me around? And about...you know, how you feel about me?"

"Every word of every part," she smiled. "I want you here in my life, in Grace's life, and yes, I love you."

"I can't believe you said it first," he laughed slightly.

"Is it important who says it first?" Temperance asked, a bit confused. "It is just semantics, after all."

"I know, but you aren't exactly the most emotional person. I always assumed that if it was ever said, I'd say it first and then I'd have to force it out of you or something."

"Well, I suppose I'm just full of surprises," she laughed.

"That you are, Bones, that you are," he smiled back at her before pulling her close and locking her in another heart-stopping kiss.

"Hey Booth," she murmured as they broke for air.

"Yes, Bones?" he asked, trying to pull her back for another kiss. Looking him in the eyes, a slight smile playing at her lips, she placed a hand on each of his shoulders, carefully holding him back.

"You still haven't said it," she whispered.

"I haven't?" he asked. She shook her head, never breaking eye contact, silently willing him to say those three little words.

"Well, that's a problem, isn't it?" he teased playfully. She nodded, still not daring to break the all-important eye contact. "Let's see what we can do about that, shall we?" he asked, bringing his hands up to slowly remove hers from his shoulders. Bringing her hands down so that they sat intertwined with his just below her chest, he leaned down and kissed her quickly.

"I love you, Temperance," he whispered. This time, she'd have to wipe the tears from his eyes.


	19. His Girlfriend

**A/N:** Thank you all once again for the reviews! Also, thank you for sticking with the story and having patience with the less frequent updates...as I may have told some of you, my computer completely crashed earlier this week, and I lost the chapters I had not yet published. I'm recreating them as quickly as I can, so hopefully I will be caught up soon! And in the future, I will be backing up _everything_ that I write.

* * *

"Morning sweetie!" Angela called out, as she waltzed into Temperance's office the next morning. "You look happy this morning," she observed with a smirk. "Something you want to talk about?"

Temperance turned away from her computer to look at her always-perky best friend, and decided to have a little fun with her before telling her everything. "Oh, it's not a big deal, Ange. Can't I be happy in the morning?"

"Sweetie, you are never happy before noon or two cups of coffee, whichever comes first. Right now, it's nine in the morning, it's raining and I know you aren't allowed to drink coffee, but you're still smiling. Clearly, this is something worth talking about." Angela grew quiet for a moment as an idea occurred to her. "Oooh, did you find something out during your ultrasound? Are you having twins?!"

"What? Ange, if I was having twins, I think I'd be horrified, not smiling. No, there is definitely only one baby in here," Temperance smiled as she patted her stomach.

"Okay, so it's not the baby. There's only one other thing that could possibly make you this happy...that means it must be Booth!"

Temperance just smiled and turned back towards her computer.

"Oh my God, it is Booth! Something happened! Sweetie, spill!" Angela gushed as she pulled up a chair.

"We just had a very nice talk last night. That's all," Temperance replied.

"A talk? What did you talk about?"

"You know…just stuff. We talked about Grace for a while, we talked about what was happening with Sully and I…and we talked about us."

"Us? Sweetie, is there an 'us' now with you and Booth?"

"There might be…" Temperance teased, with a small smile on her lips.

Angela clapped her hands joyfully. "This is good, this is so good, sweetie! So, there might be? What did he say? What did you say? Bren, you're killing me here, my heart can't take it…just tell me already!"

"Well, I sort of told him I loved him and…" Temperance was momentarily interrupted by Angela's barely-muffled scream of delight. "And he said it back to me."

"Wait, I'm sorry…_you_ said it first?" Angela asked, her jaw practically hitting the floor in disbelief.

"Why is that so shocking? Booth couldn't believe it either."

"Because you're you, sweetie. You think love is a confluence of hormones and chemicals, you don't say things like that. And definitely not first!"

"Well, I did," Brennan replied somewhat defensively.

Angela laughed. "And what did Booth do after that? Did you make passionate love all night long? Please say you did!"

"Angela, really! We haven't even had an official date yet," Temperance paused and smiled coyly at Angela. "There was kissing, though. Definite kissing."

Angela could barely contain her squeals of delight. "Kissing is good. I fully support kissing. Was there tongue?"

"Angela!!" Brennan tried to sound shocked, but eventually gave in and burst out laughing with her friend.

* * *

That afternoon, Seeley Booth was sitting in his office, sorting through his final stack of overdue paperwork, when he was interrupted by a knock on the door. Looking up, his whole body tensed involuntarily as Angela walked into his office.

"Oh, calm down, lover boy. I'm not going to hit you this time," she laughed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Booth smiled slightly. "Well then, to what do I owe this visit?"

Angela shrugged. "I just want to know how in the hell you got Brennan to say she loved you before you even said it."

"She told you that?" Booth knew he shouldn't be shocked, since Angela was not only Brennan's best friend, but also had an uncanny ability to elicit the truth from just about everyone she knew.

"She tells me everything. You're going to have to learn that if you're going to be her boyfriend."

"Her boyfriend…" Booth's smile grew as the words played on his lips. "Her boyfriend…"

"I'd say you've been together for two years now and you could just skip straight to the altar, but seeing as Brennan doesn't believe in marriage, I think you'll have to settle for boyfriend."

"I know. I don't mind."

"Good. Now, I still want to know how you got her to say it first."

"I don't really know…she just sort of spit it out," Booth laughed, remembering Temperance's speech from the night before.

Angela smiled and walked over so that she was standing right in front of Booth. "Well, I'm very happy for you, both of you."

She leaned down and pulled him into a hug. Whispering in his ear, she added, "You hurt her and I'll use all of Hodgins' money to make you disappear, you hear me?"

Booth laughed. "You realize you're threatening a federal agent in a federal workspace?"

"Yeah, but are you really going to arrest your girlfriend's best friend on your first day as a couple? I don't think that would be a good start to this phase of the relationship."

"I supposed not," Booth agreed, as Angela's words echoed through his head.

_Your girlfriend…relationship…her boyfriend. Temperance Brennan is my girlfriend._

Without even realizing it, Booth smiled broadly as he watched Angela leave his office and reached for the phone to call his girlfriend.


	20. King Of The Nursery

**A/N:** Okay, we are jumping forward in time a bit for this chapter. In the last chapter, Brennan was 20 weeks along...we're jumping forward about 10 weeks, so she is now 30 weeks (just over 7 months) along. The reason for this is that if I went through everything chronologically, I'd be writing this story forever and it would get rather boring for all of you to read. Some things are just better if I recap and move on. So, we are jumping.

The chapter after this one will delve into what has happened in the time we skipped over, filling you in on where Booth/Brennan are in their relationship, what's happening with Sully, etc. This chapter is one that I wrote for my own personal enjoyment, so you'll just have to indulge me a bit as I have some fun with the squints before we get back to the serious stuff. I hope you like it!

* * *

"Good Lord, Bones, did you have to buy the heaviest crib they had?" Booth asked as he and Hodgins carried the large box into Brennan's recently emptied guest room. It was entirely too early in the morning for him to be happy about doing this sort of work.

"I thought you wanted the opportunity to display your alpha male tendencies? Doesn't strength fall under that category?" Temperance laughed, watching the men struggle and remembering how just a few days before Booth had refused to allow her to pay for store delivery, insisting that he was perfectly capable of transporting the crib himself.

"Hey!" Angela protested as they entered the room. "I thought I told you boys that you were not allowed to bring anything in here until I was finished!"

Wiping the sweat from her forehead and setting down her paintbrushes, she placed her hands on her hips and glared at the men. "Does it look to you like I'm finished? Take that thing out of here and go wait in the living room. Honestly, you'd think the two of you were born yesterday!"

Picking up her brushes, Angela turned her attention back to the mural she was creating on the wall. Although she was nearly finished, she knew Hodgins and Booth would only be a distraction, and she needed concentration for the intricate details.

When it was finally finished a few hours later, she called Temperance in for final approval.

"You'd better like this, sweetie, because I do not want to have to redo any of this," she laughed as Temperance walked into the room.

"Oh, Ange, it's absolutely stunning," Temperance marveled, looking around at the astonishing transformation her bland guest room had made in the week since Angela had taken it over nearly full time. Although the themes of the various walls seemed a bit mismatched, the eclectic style was exactly what she had expected when she had agreed to allow Angela to do the nursery, and she wasn't the least bit disappointed.

Despite protests from Brennan, Angela had refused to incorporate bones of any kind into the décor, insisting that it was absolutely inappropriate to surround a baby with symbols of death. Instead, the window was framed with a vines and flowers, with a small bird in each corner. The rest of that wall had been covered in a shade of pale lavender which Angela had mixed herself.

On the wall with the door, Angela had started with the same pale lavender as the window wall. The lavender had then been topped with triangles, circles and squares of various sizes, all done in chalkboard paint. Later, she would let Booth, Hodgins and Zack leave messages or drawings there for baby Grace.

On the third wall, Angela had moved to a slightly darker shade of lavender to cover the closet doors, while continuing the pale shade on the wall itself. Above the closet, she had stenciled 'Grace Christine' in a flowery calligraphy. A pattern of vines and flowers, mimicking those surrounding the window, encircled the closet.

The full wall opposite the door was Angela's quite literal concession to the scientific side of Grace's DNA. Angela had taken several of Hodgins' images of a microscopic view of DNA, and copied them onto the wall. Of course, the double helix had been transformed with vibrant shades of green, yellow, orange and pink, but other than its color, was scientifically accurate, which pleased Brennan and greatly amused Angela and Booth.

* * *

"Dude, putting together a crib should not be this difficult," Hodgins moaned later that day, as he and Booth sat on the floor of the newly painted nursery, surrounded by dozens of mismatched parts, the assembly instructions haphazardly tossed to the side of the room.

"It isn't difficult. If you'd stop handing me the wrong pieces, this thing would have been finished hours ago," Booth complained. "I definitely did not have this much trouble assembling Parker's crib."

"Right. Well, if you'd stop asking for the wrong pieces, I wouldn't keep handing them to you," Hodgins protested.

Neither of the men noticed Zack enter the room and pick up the discarded instructions. After quickly reading through them, he smirked slightly at the sight of the two men so utterly confused and unwilling to admit defeat. Remembering his reasons for entering in the first place, Zack cleared his throat, finally drawing the attention of Hodgins and Booth.

"Um…Angela sent me in to tell you that lunch is waiting on the counter if you get hungry. She and Dr. Brennan have gone to the store. Dr. Brennan is out of peanut butter, which is apparently a very bad thing," Zack said.

"Yeah, well, I suppose we'd better eat," Booth replied, glad to have an excuse to leave the frustrations of the crib assembly behind. "We've got a long afternoon of crib assembly ahead of us, at the rate we're going. I'm starting to think maybe Rebecca put Parker's crib together."

"I'm with you on that one, man," Hodgins agreed, quickly getting up from his spot on the floor. As the two men moved off towards the kitchen, neither noticed that Zack failed to follow them back out.

* * *

About twenty minutes later, Brennan and Angela returned to find Hodgins and Booth at the kitchen table, beers and sandwiches set out before them.

"So, how's the crib coming?" Angela asked, knowing the men were having trouble when she left. "You should be nearly done by now, right?"

"Um…" Booth and Hodgins looked at each other guiltily as Booth stammered out his response. "Yeah, um, nearly done. Just a few final touches to finish up on after lunch."

"Do you even have any of it together yet?" Angela asked, not buying Booth's response for a second.

"Well…see, cribs are very complicated to put together. Really, it's just taking a little longer than we anticipated," Booth replied.

"Honest, babe, we'll figure it out. I mean, between the two of us, we'll get it done. Don't worry," Hodgins added.

"Uh huh. This I'll believe when I see that completed crib," Angela rolled her eyes as she turned to grab a sandwich from the counter.

"Where is Zack?" Brennan asked, noticing the absence of the young anthropologist. "Booth, please tell me you didn't run him off while we were at the store."

"What? No, I didn't. He was right behind us when we left the nursery," Booth answered, looking around and wondering how he hadn't noticed that the young man wasn't with them.

"Well, let's go see what he's gotten himself in to," Angela laughed, getting up from the table and heading off towards the nursery, the other three close behind.

When they walked into the nursery, the sight that greeted them made Booth and Hodgins' jaws hit the floor. Zack was on his back, screwdriver in hand, underneath a nearly finished crib.

"What the…" Booth began, unable to believe that the little squint had managed alone, in twenty minutes, what he and Hodgins had been unable to manage together in nearly two hours.

Poking his head out from under the crib, Zack noticed the four people staring down at him.

"Agent Booth, could you hand me that screw near your foot, please?" he asked calmly. "I believe that should be the last one, and then the crib should be finished."

As he handed him the screw, an incredulous Booth had to ask, "Zack, how the hell did you get this put together so quickly?"

"I come from a large family, Agent Booth. Every time I go home, one of my sisters or sisters-in-law is pregnant. I've watched this done many times, and my observations have shown that most men invariably skip a key step in putting together a crib or any other sort of child's toy or furniture. Therefore, I made it a point to master and successfully implement the aforementioned step whenever necessary, thus making me the favorite sibling in a very large family."

Angela had to laugh at Zack's rather odd, and yet completely logical, explanation. "What step does everyone forget, Zack?"

Pulling himself out from under the crib and up off the floor, Zack looked at Angela. With a completely straight face that gave away none of the delight he took in finally having the upper hand over both Booth and Hodgins, he answered her question.

"They don't read the instructions." Pausing for just a moment as he looked at the amused faces of Angela and Brennan, he moved towards the door. "Are there any sandwiches left? I'm rather hungry now."

"Oh, and I do believe this makes me king of the nursery," Zack said to Hodgins, handing him the now-wrinkled instructions and walking off towards the kitchen, leaving Angela and Brennan dissolving into laughter and Booth and Hodgins staring at the crib with shock on their faces.


	21. Against My Better Judgment

**A/N:** Thank you all for the great reviews on the last chapter - I'm glad you enjoyed Zack as king of the nursery as much as I did! It's time to get back to the serious stuff for a little while, though...with just a bit of humor thrown in, of course. This is really the first half of a two part scene, so this will continue into the next chapter. This half sets things up, then hopefully the next half will answer the questions you all have about where Booth/Brennan stand, and where Sully fits in. Enjoy!

* * *

"Come on, Bones, we're going to be late!" Booth shouted from the living room as he waited for Temperance to change her clothes…again. "How many outfits are you going to try on?"

"Really? You really want to have this conversation with me?" she shouted back. "Because you try going up a size every other week and then come and tell me how great your wardrobe looks! Honestly, I just bought new jeans last week, and they barely fit!"

Booth laughed. "Bones, I'm sure you look fine. Wear a dress if your pants bother you that much."

"A dress? Are you trying to make me look like a whale? Because that's what I look like in a dress right now!"

Booth opened his mouth to argue that she was being irrational, but memories of the last time he'd made that comment quickly forced him to swallow his words. Temperance he could handle; he loved Temperance. Hormonal Temperance was a woman he was still getting used to dealing with. He was glad she'd only be around another few months.

"Fine, but we are going to be late," he shouted again.

"It's not like he's going anywhere, he's in prison," Bones sighed as she finally emerged from her bedroom, still adjusting her jeans, trying to get the waist to rest in a manner than didn't cut directly into her protruding abdomen.

"You look great, Bones," Booth commented sincerely.

"Sure I do. I'm huge, Booth. Huge. I can't believe that two months ago Dr. Bryant was concerned that I was underweight. Look at me now, I could practically be full term!"

Booth tried to restrain a slight chuckle at the thought. Although it was undeniable that she had grown considerably larger in the last two months, Bones was no where near as large as most women were at seven months. She certainly was no where near as large as Booth remembered Rebecca being.

"Bones, you do not look full term. You are pregnant, and you are beautiful. I promise, you are not large. Would it make you feel better to know that Rebecca was much larger than you are when she was seven months?"

Brennan sighed. "No, because it would be petty of me to take pleasure in comparing myself to another woman," she said, although secretly his words did comfort her. "Aren't we late? Why are you just standing there?"

Booth laughed and headed towards the door. "Nothing, absolutely nothing. Let's get going."

He sighed as he locked the door behind them, knowing that if today didn't go well, it was going to a long few weeks before she forgave him for making her go.

* * *

"Remind me again why you are forcing me to do this?" she asked, absentmindedly fiddling with the seatbelt in his SUV. "And against my better judgment, I'd like to state for the record, again."

"I know, against your better judgment," he smiled slightly. "But I'm glad that you decided to humor me. You need to do this because, like it or not, he's going to find out eventually, and you need to be the one to tell him."

"I don't see the logic in that, Booth. If he's going to find out anyway, what does it matter if I tell him? It isn't going to change anything. The news is the same, whether he hears it from me or from someone else."

"The news is the same, yes. It's the impact that I'm concerned about. The impact is different if he hears it from you than if he hears it from some random person."

"Well, in theory it wouldn't be some random person, Booth. It would likely be from another agent. Or maybe from Caroline. But there wouldn't really be anything random about it."

Booth laughed. "Okay, fine. He'd hear it from some non-random person. My point remains, it's better that he hears it from you. I don't want him going all psycho on my ass."

"My father is in prison, Booth. What could he possibly do?"

"You don't even want to know, Bones. Trust me. I don't want him putting out a hit on Sully or something if he thinks he walked out on you, and I don't want him putting out a hit on me if he gets the idea that I…you know, somehow took advantage or something."

Temperance laughed at the thought, but quickly settled back into silence as they continued the awkward journey to the federal prison where Max Keenan was awaiting his first visit with his daughter since his arrest.

* * *

"Are you sure you won't come in with me?" Temperance asked for the fifth time, as she and Booth stood outside the small visitors' room inside the prison.

"Nope. This is something you've got to do yourself, but I'll be right outside if you need anything," he said. Taking her chin in his hand, he tilted his head back so he was looking directly into her eyes. "You can do this, Bones. It'll be fine. Just stay calm and tell him what you need to tell him."

"I don't need to tell him anything, Booth. You're the one who is so insistent that I have this meeting…why don't you talk to him?"

Booth laughed as he opened the door and ushered Temperance into the room. She glared at him as she took a seat at the table.

"The guard will bring in Max in just a minute," he said, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the door opened and Max Keenan entered the room.

_He looks tired_, she thought to herself, taking in her first look at her father since Booth had arrested him five months earlier. _I guess prison will do that to a person._

Max stood just inside the doorway for a moment, smiling at the sight of his daughter sitting there. He hadn't been told who his visitor was, but the moment he had seen Seeley Booth hovering outside the door, he knew she had finally come to see him.

"Tempe, I'm so happy to see you," Max began, moving towards her, hoping she would stand up and hug him. When she made no movement at all, he sighed and took the seat across from her.

"You look good, Tempe. How's work?"

"Work is fine."

"Good…that's good," Max paused, awkwardly studying his hands, unsure of how to continue this conversation. "I'm really glad that you finally came by to see me. I've been wanting to talk to you, Tempe. I miss you, and I think that…"

Max was interrupted when Temperance raised her hand sharply, indicating he should stop speaking.

"No, Max. You don't get to do that. You don't get pretend that everything is alright, that we are somehow going to have any sort of relationship. I have some things to tell you, and when this visit is over, you'll never see me again. The only reason I'm here today is that Booth has this irrational idea that you have some sort of right to know what's going on."

Max sighed. "Okay. What exactly is going on?"

"I'm pregnant, Max," she said, her tone cold and emotionless as she stared across the table at him.

"You…you're…you're pregnant? As in, having a baby?" Max stammered. Of all the things his daughter could have said to him, he wasn't sure he could think of anything more shocking. Looking closely at her, he noticed she did look a bit heavier than the last time he'd seen her, but she'd always been so thin, it wasn't anything he would have noticed, and her stomach was hidden by the table between them.

"That is the generally accepted definition of pregnant, Max," she replied.

"Wow…I'm going to be a grandfather? This is…wow," Max said.

"No, Max. I told you, we don't have a relationship. That means you don't get to have a relationship with this child. I don't know how you'd expect to maintain that relationship, anyway, because there is no way I'm bringing my baby anywhere near a federal prison just to see you," she said, although a hint of sadness crept into her voice as she realized that her baby would have no grandparents.

_Well, maybe Sully's parents are still around_, she thought to herself. _I really ought to ask him about that one of these days_.

"Oh," Max said, disappointment evident in his voice. "Well, maybe you could send pictures or something? I could send cards and letters now and again, too."

Temperance rested her chin in her palm and looked at the broken man sitting before her. Despite what she knew of his actions, a wave of sympathy swept over her as she considered the man he had been when he had been her father.

"Maybe. I'll take it under advisement," she offered.

Max smiled, knowing that was all he could hope for at that point in time.

"So, how far along are you?" he asked, eager for more details.

"Just over 7 months."

"7 months? That's…wow. You look amazing, really, Tempe. I…could you maybe stand up? So I could see it?" he asked tentatively.

She sighed and quickly stood up, turning to the side so Max could clearly see her baby bump. Sitting back down, she glared at him. "Happy now?"

He smiled again. "You're beautiful, Tempe. Pregnancy looks good on you, it really does. Just like your mother."

Max waited for her response, but not getting one, he continued with his questions.

"So, I don't see a ring. When are you and Agent Booth getting married?"


	22. Baby Steps

**A/N:** Here it is, the second half of the big Brennan/Max confrontation! I hope it answers a few of the questions you may have, but as always, please let me know if there is something else you still want to know!

* * *

Temperance stared at him, absolutely incredulous that he would ask such a question.

"Why would you assume that I'm going to get married?" she asked, unable to decide if she wanted to scream at him or burst out laughing.

"Well, you are having a baby. Babies need two parents in a stable relationship, preferably a marriage. And Booth seems like a stand-up guy; I figure he'd want to do right by you," Max replied, confused by her reaction.

"Do right by me?" she shouted at him. "Do right by me? Max, I cannot honestly believe that you would think I would resign myself to some archaic ritual based on outdated societal pressures."

"But…"

"And do you truly think that you are even remotely qualified to give me a family values lecture? Because lest you forget, I'm fairly certain that as a bank robbing multiple murderer who walked out on his children, your credentials on anything even remotely related to some sort of morality are less than stellar."

"Fine, no wedding. I assume Agent Booth at least intends to provide something for the support of my grandchild, right?"

Temperance finally couldn't hold it back any longer and burst out laughing at Max's assumptions. He looked at her, thoroughly confused by her response.

"You can make whatever assumption you want, Max, but Booth has no responsibility to provide for my baby."

"Oh, come on, Tempe. I know you like to be this independent woman who pretends she doesn't need anyone, but you can't just cut your child off from its father, it wouldn't be fair."

"You know, Max, you seem to be operating on faulty assumptions. Perhaps if had started this conversation with the basic, normal questions, you might have avoided the situation you now find yourself in, but you didn't, so I'm just going to recommend you shut up before you make even more of an ass of yourself."

Max opened his mouth to respond, but the look in his daughter's eyes kept him from actually saying anything.

"The one thing you are correct about is that I am currently in a relationship with Agent Booth."

Max smiled. He knew he'd been right about her attraction to her partner; he'd sensed it from the very first moment he'd seen them together. He knew the FBI agent to be a good man, even if he had been the one to arrest him and send him here in the first place. He knew Booth would never hurt his daughter, so he was pleased they had finally acknowledged their feelings and moved forward with a relationship.

_So why are my assumptions wrong?_ Max thought to himself, confusion returning to his thoughts.

"Booth and I have been together for just over two months," Temperance continued.

_That little son of a… _Max's mind starting spinning, confusion replaced by anger. _He got my daughter pregnant when they weren't even together! That doesn't sound like Booth, but if it's true…I'm going to need to teach him a lesson about hurting my little girl!_

"Booth is not the baby's father, Max, my former boyfriend is," Temperance explained when she saw the look in his eyes.

"He…what…who…?" Max stammered, feeling utterly and completely lost and confused by the situation.

"His name is Timothy Sullivan. We were together for a few months before we split up. It was mostly my decision to split up; Sully was ready for a step I wasn't willing to take in our relationship. He left town when we split up. I didn't find out I was pregnant until two weeks later."

"So he just walked away? Does he know about the baby?"

"He didn't walk away, Max. We broke up. And yes, he knows about the baby."

Max sighed, trying to comprehend everything he was being told.

"Well, what does he intend to do about it?" Max finally asked.

"What do you mean, do about it?"

"You said he left town. Is he coming back? I want to know my grandchild is in good hands," Max said.

"Okay, first of all, Max, this notion that you need to somehow protect me or _my_ child is ludicrous. We've been through that already. Sully is a good man, okay? I'm not in love with him, but that doesn't make him a bad guy. We care about each other, but we aren't in love with each other. That doesn't mean he'd walk away from his child, though. He's already back in D.C., if you must know," Temperance replied, her patience wearing thin.

"And what does he do for a living? Is he capable of supporting a child?"

"What do you think Max, I'd date some bum? He's doing consulting for the FBI and a few private security firms. And what does it even matter? You should know that I am perfectly capable of supporting a child on my own even if he didn't contribute!" Temperance snapped at her father.

"Tempe, I'm just trying to look out for you. You're my little girl," Max said, trying to calm her down.

Temperance shook her head, standing up and moving towards the door. Looking back at Max, she sighed heavily.

"Max, stop trying to look out for me. You lost the right to be protective when you walked out on Russ and I, and just because you've suddenly reappeared, that doesn't mean you get to pick up where you left off. And let's get this straight…I am _not_ your little girl anymore!"

As Temperance left the room, Max sighed and put his head in hands. _This is going to be harder than I thought,_ he realized. _I just hope she doesn't hate me forever._

* * *

"Bones…" Booth began hesitantly, as they drove away from the prison. He'd been worried when she had rushed out of the visitors' room without so much as a word to him and her continued silence only served to heighten his concern.

"I don't want to talk about, Booth," she said, turning her head towards the window in a futile attempt to hide the tears which were now streaming down her face.

Booth didn't say anything in response. Instead, he pulled the car off the road, turned off the engine and got out of the car. Momentarily confused, Brennan couldn't figure out what he was doing until he opened her door and helped her step out of the car.

Leaning against the side of the SUV, Booth pulled her into his arms and let her cry. Knowing that there were no words he could say, Booth just held her tightly, wishing he could somehow take the pain away.

A few months ago, he'd never have imagined being in this position, not just because he'd rarely let himself believe Bones would let him get that close, but also because such a raw display of emotion was so unlike her. Of the many changes pregnancy had brought, Booth found the newly uncovered emotional side of Brennan alternately the most endearing and most disconcerting change.

"I can't hate him," Brennan finally whispered, her head still pressed against his shoulder. "I want to hate him, but I can't."

Booth lightly kissed her forehead as he brushed the hair off the side of her face.

"You don't have to hate him, Bones. You can still have a relationship with him, you know. Doing so doesn't mean you condone what he did, it doesn't mean you're okay with it, it just means you can see past it. See that, in spite of everything, he's still your father."

"I…I don't know how to do that, Booth. I don't know how to look past that. I know he thought he was protecting Russ and I, but I don't know how I can ever look at him without thinking of the horrid things he did."

Booth tipped her head up so that he was looking straight into her eyes. "Baby steps, Temperance. You just take baby steps, one day at a time."

She nodded, wearily resting her head on his shoulder again. "Baby steps," she sighed.


	23. Welcome To The World

**A/N:** Well, for better or for worse, I'm fairly certain that this chapter is going to be the last chapter in this story. I'm sort of sad to see it come to an end, but am looking forward to writing the sequel very soon. For this chapter, we take a slight leap forward in time, about a month and a half after Brennan's meeting with her father.

* * *

Angela Montenegro sighed as she looked at the caller ID on her cell phone. Casting her fiancé an apologetic stare, she flipped the phone open.

"Hi sweetie," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Ange, I'm in hell. Pure and simple. I think we ought to talk to the CIA about changing how they torture war criminals. I'm fairly certain this is much worse than anything they're currently doing," Temperance whined on the other end of the line.

"Come on sweetie, it can't be that bad," Angela said, rolling her eyes at her fiancé as he laughed while he listened to her have the same conversation she'd been having at least four times a day for the last three weeks.

"Ange, it is awful. I'm bored out of my mind, and Booth won't let me do anything!"

"Um, sweetie, that's sort of the point of bed rest. You aren't supposed to do anything! Take advantage, Bren, let that hot FBI man wait on you hand and foot," Angela laughed.

"My hands and feet are just fine, Angela, other than the fact that I am stuck in this house all day. I get that this is supposed to be better for the baby, but I'm going to go insane, and then what good will I be to Grace?"

"Seriously, Bren, you just have to go with the flow. You're only two weeks away from your due date. What's two more weeks?"

"Hell, Ange. We've been over this. Two more weeks is hell," Temperance complained.

"But you don't believe in hell, sweetie," Angela teased.

"Shut up, Ange."

* * *

"Seeley!" Temperance shouted, hearing him moving about in the kitchen. Although Booth heard her, he chose not to respond, knowing full well she'd make him pay later. He silently cursed her doctor for insisting on total bed rest after her preterm labor three weeks earlier. Boredom and hormones had combined to make his girlfriend one very difficult woman to be around. He just kept reminding himself that, in spite of everything, he loved her and soon she would be, if not back to normal, at least less hormonal.

"Seeley!" she called again, this time with just a hint of desperation in her voice. Sighing, he put down the pan he had just taken out and turned in the direction of her room. He was shocked to see her standing in the hallway, leaning heavily on the wall, one hand clasped protectively over her stomach.

"Bones, what are you doing? You know you aren't supposed to be getting up!" he scolded, rushing to her side without noticing the painful grimace on her face. As he took her arm to lead her back into the bedroom, he was surprised when she dug her fingernails into his arm, a wave of pain coursing through her body.

Shooting her a questioning look, he felt his heart stop momentarily when he heard he mutter through clenched teeth, "My water broke, Seeley. It's time."

Quickly jumping into panic mode, Booth rushed her out to the car, stopping only briefly to grab the overnight bag she'd packed several weeks ago and left by the front door.

"Okay Bones," he said, as he slid into the driver's seat of the SUV. "I just had the interior cleaned, so please no delivering the baby in the front seat, got it? Just hang on until we get to the hospital!"

* * *

"Where is she? Is she alright? Did I miss it?" Angela shouted frantically, as she rushed into the labor and delivery waiting room an hour later. She paused as she took a look at the two nervous looking men seated before her. Sully and Booth both looked as though they might jump out of their skin at any second. If she hadn't been so worried about her best friend, Angela thought she might have burst out laughing at the sight.

"She's still in there, Ange. It seems to be going pretty fast, though. They moved her to a delivery room about ten minutes ago. We don't know anything yet," Booth said, remembering how Rebecca had been in labor for nearly fourteen hours before she'd finally progressed far enough to warrant moving to a delivery room, and saying a silent prayer of thanks that hadn't been the case for Temperance.

"Well, why aren't you in there with her? Shouldn't you both be in there?"

Sully laughed. "Yeah, we should. But Temperance has banned us from the delivery room, apparently."

Angela smiled. "Well, I'll just go check on her, then."

Booth raised a hand to stop her. "Uh uh. Nope. She didn't just ban us, she banned _everyone_. Sully, me, you, everyone. I think she would have banned the doctor if she could have."

"But I…" Angela protested, sinking down into the chair next to Booth. "So we just wait?"

"We just wait," Booth affirmed.

* * *

"Son of a…" Temperance screamed, gripping the railings of the hospital bed. "I'm going to kill that man!"

"Temperance, stay with me now," Dr. Bryant coached from the foot of the bed. "On the next contraction, I need you to push, alright?"

Temperance nodded, sweat dripping from her forehead.

"Okay, here we go," Dr. Bryant said, as Temperance let out another scream.

"Really, could we have evolved with a more painful birthing mechanism if we tried?" Temperance ranted between pushes. "This is not exactly conducive to the propagation of the race…why the hell would anyone do this more than once?"

Laughing at her ramblings, Dr. Bryant smiled up at her. "One more big push, Temperance, and she'll be here. Ready?"

Temperance grimaced, grabbing an ever tighter hold on the railing, screaming once more until suddenly her voice was replaced by the soft wailing of the infant now in Dr. Bryant's hands.

After cutting the cord and wrapping the baby in a blanket, a nurse placed the tiny, screaming baby in Temperance's arms, smiling slightly as she commented, "She seems to have inherited your lungs, Dr. Brennan."

Running a finger over the little girl's face, Temperance smiled before moving on to her arms and legs, subconsciously counting fingers and toes, ensuring that her little girl was really there.

Sighing contentedly, she whispered softly, "Welcome to the world, baby Grace."

* * *

Outside the delivery room, Sully had taken to pacing the length of the waiting room, while Angela began to fear that Booth was going to snap his chair in half from gripping the armrests so hard. Hodgins kept trying to make himself useful by running back and forth to the coffee machine, but no one seemed to be able to relax. Everyone jumped and rushed towards the door when Dr. Bryant finally came into the room. Raising a hand to stop the questions he could see on all their lips, the doctor smiled.

"Mother and baby are both doing fine," he said, greeted by a chorus of relieved sighs. "Everything went very smoothly with the delivery, no complications at all. We'll be moving Dr. Brennan back to her room in just a few minutes, but she'll probably be fairly exhausted for the rest of the day. The baby is being taken up to the nursery. You're welcome to go see her there right now, if you'd like. We're going to let Dr. Brennan rest for a while, then we'll bring the baby down to her room."

* * *

"There she is!" Angela squealed, pointing to the pink blanket in the first row.

"Wow," Sully and Booth sighed almost simultaneously. Neither could come up with words as they stared in awe at the beautiful little baby sleeping in front of them.

Finally, Booth reached out and clapped Sully on the back. "You did good, Sul, you did good with that one."

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that's all I've got for now. This story has been so much fun for me to write, and I'm so happy that you all seem to have enjoyed reading it. I hope you'll take the time to leave one last review, letting me know what you think of the ending!

I realize that there are a lot of questions left unanswered in this ending. Don't worry, I didn't forget all about them – I had to leave something for the sequel, didn't I? I anticipate that I'll start posting the sequel in a few weeks, so be on the lookout for it when it comes. Whereas this story focused mostly on bringing Booth/Brennan together, the sequel will focus on family relationships and dynamics. Right now, it is tentatively titled 'Baby Steps' but that is subject to change as the story develops.


End file.
